Until the Day I Die
by ombre nocturne
Summary: There is a secret at NERV; a secret no one wants to get out. How does this secret connect to the new girl in town? And how will this girl affect Shinji and Asuka's lives, as well as the whole of NERV and Tokyo 3?
1. The New Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
Author's note: Alrightie! *cracks knuckles* My first Evangelion fic! :) I just finished watching the show and it's awesome! I may not get -every- detail exactly right because I'm still a little confused considering I need to watch the movies and what not (and beat the game! XD). So don't flame me too hard and give me a few pointers and what not if I -really- need them. I'm not quite sure where this is headed, so be prepared for a few turns! Have fun reading, and be sure to review! ~*~ Nagi (This is revised version thanks to "cl4yivi0r3" and his/her advice. This story is in MY perspective, so it will be different from the rest of the series.)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Title: Until the Day I Die  
  
Chapter title: The New Girl  
  
By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Shinji! Hurry up or we'll be late again!" came Asuka's scream from the front door.  
  
"I'm coming!" yelled Shinji as he grabbed his piece of toast out of the toaster and ran past a half-asleep Misato. "Bye Misato! See you after school!"  
  
"Alright Shinji. Bye you two. Try not to get into too many fights..." said Misato as she yawned widely. She heard the door slam shut in the middle of Asuka yelling at Shinji for almost making her late again. Sighing, she got up and headed for the refridgerator. Pulling out a beer, she sunk into a chair at the table, popped the tab and began drinking the cold beverage. PenPen came out of his freezer to greet her and retrieve his breakfast.  
  
"Well... At least someone is going to have a good day..." she muttered as she scratched her head an frowned.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Asuka! You're here!" called a girl in the class as both pilots came running in, Shinji mostly being dragged.  
  
"Yes, I am. No thanks to this idiot!" she said with a glare in Shinji's direction.  
  
"I - I'm sorry Asuka. I overslept..." mumbled Shinji as he headed for his desk. He stopped as he felt a hand on his shoulder. Wheeling around, he found himself staring into a pair of big blue eyes.  
  
"Look idiot. Stop apologizing for everything! God damn! It makes me sick, you know?" said Asuka, her eyes glinting.  
  
"I - I'm sorry..." Shinji mumbled, blushing slightly at how close her face was to his.  
  
"There you go again! Knock it off! If you keep apoligizing, everyone's going to walk all over you all throughout life!" she yelled, punching his shoulder lightly. In a mocking tone she added, "Not like everyone doesn't already though."  
  
Shinji frowned slightly, and returned to his desk. Touji and Kensuke walked over to him as soon as he sat down.  
  
"Hey Shinji!" said Kensuke, his glasses glinting in the sun. Shinji smiled, finally feeling like he belonged now that he had friends.  
  
"Good morning Kensuke, Touji." he said as he looked between both of them.  
  
"So, did you hear yet?" asked Touji quietly, not wanting to attract attention to their conversation. Shinji heard Asuka laughing loudly in the background and didn't think that talking quietly would be nessacary.  
  
"Heard what Touji?" he asked with mild curiosity.  
  
"You mean you haven't heard yet?!" whispered Kensuke, shock written all over his face. He looked at Touji who had an equally shocked expression on his face before looking back at the confused Shinji.  
  
"We're getting a new transfer student today." said Touji happily.  
  
"W - why? Why would anyone want to move here with all these battles going on? And...after..." he trailed off. He remembered vividly the sight of seeing Unit 00 self-destruct in order to save Asuka. Rei had been uninjured, but he had also learned what she really was...a hallow husk with a soul inside. Shuddering internally, he saw the millions of Rei's smiling at him through the tanks...then destroyed... All with a push of a button by Ritsuko.  
  
"After what Shinji?" asked Kensuke, tilting his head slightly.  
  
"Oh... It - it's nothing really." said Shinji shaking his head and forcing a smile through. "So who's the new student?"  
  
"A real babe!" said Touji, blushing slightly at the mental image. Kensuke shook his head as he witnessed a bit of saliva edging it's way down Touji's jaw line.  
  
"Hai, we saw her this morning. She's really cute Shinji. In fact...I think you two would make a real good couple!" he said, his glasses glinting again.  
  
Shinji blushed and looked towards the doorway when the teacher came in the room. Standing, he waited for the Hikari to tell them they could sit. A girl, no doubt the one Touji started drooling over before class, came in shortly after the teacher.  
  
"Everyone, we have a new transfer student today." he said in his low, aged voice. As the girl wrote her name on the board, Asuka scoffed.  
  
'Who does she think she is?! Coming in here and...wait! What am I thinking?!' she thought while her cheeks flushed slightly.  
  
Turning around, the girl smiled warmly. She had dark, raven black hair that was held in a ponytail atop her head. The dark red ribbon that held her hair up matched well with her eyes which were a deep brown. Two little pieces of her hair hung over her ears, making her look more innocent than she really was. Eyes sparkling, she looked around the room trying to find a good place to sit once she was introduced.  
  
"I am Shikaku Yagahashii. It's an honor to meet you all." she said quietly as she bowed. The teacher grunted his apporval and looked around the room for a place for her to sit. His eyes lingered on Shinji and the empty desk next to him, Shinji instantly knowing what he was thinking.  
  
'No! Not here! Anywhere but here! Please!' he mentally pleaded with his teacher, but to no avail.  
  
"Miss Yagahashii, why don't you sit next to Mr. Ikari." the teacher said. Shinji blushed and raised his hand so she would know where he was. She quickly went over to where Shinji was and sat down. Looking over at him, she noticed he was becoming tense. Her eyes couldn't stray away from him the entire class period, making Asuka very mad.  
  
"Why that little... I'll teach her..." she muttered, a trace of jealously in her voice.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Shinji! You lucky bastard!" yelled Touji happily as he ran up and wrapped his arm around Shinji's neck playfully. "You get to sit next to the babe!"  
  
"She does have a name baka!" muttered Kensuke, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.  
  
"I know that! Shikaku...what a lovely name... What do you suppose it translates into?" he mused aloud.  
  
"It means 'angel of fire'..." mumbled Shinji, not feeling that this was just an ordinary girl. He had felt something from her when she sat down next to him...but he just couldn't place a finger on what it was.  
  
"How did you know?!" yelled Touji and Kensuke in unison.  
  
"I really don't know. I guess I just rembered it from when my mother started teaching me kanji..."  
  
"Oh..." Touji and Kensuke said in quiet tones.  
  
"Hey Shinji!" Shinji turned around to see Shikaku running towards them, her cheeks flushed and her eyes shining.  
  
"Hi Shikaku!" said Touji, saluting her just as he did to Misato.  
  
"Save it for Major Katsuragi dolt..." muttered Kensuke as he drug the stiff form of Touji away. Shikaku watched as Touji was drug away by a strained looking Kensuke before turning back to Shinji.  
  
"Uhh... What is it Shikaku?" asked Shinji, uncertain as to what he should call her.  
  
"Please, just call me Shi." she said as she surpressed a giggle at his formalness. Shinji nodded stiffly, not sure as to what she wanted to speak to him for. "Umm... Shinji, I was wondering... Do you think you could show me around town?" she asked quietly, her hands clasped together at the front showing just how embarrassed she felt.  
  
"Uhh... S - sure, I suppose I could Shi -" he began before he felt a hand on his shoulder again.  
  
"Iie, he can't. We have to go home, right Shinji?" said Asuka menacingly in Shikaku's direction.  
  
"Oh... I - I didn't know you two were...dating." said Shikaku as she blushed and turned her head to the side. Shinji's eyes bugged out of his head at this comment and blushed furiously. "I only wanted for Shinji to show me around so I wouldn't get lost again!" she cried, her eyes shining as tears formed.  
  
"So go find someone else!" spat Asuka as she grabbed Shinji's hand and began dragging him off. 'Heh... That should show her...' she thought as an devil-ish smirk spread across her face.  
  
"Asuka!" said Shinji as he wrenched his hand out of her grasp. "Why are you all of a sudden being so mean to her? She just moved here!" he hissed.  
  
"You know we have to go to NERV for synch testing!" Asuka protested. In reality, that wasn't until next week but she somehow didn't want to see Shinji alone with Shikaku.  
  
"That's not until next week Asuka... Look, I'm just going to show her around town alright? Stop acting so... possesive of me alright?" he muttered as he went back to Shikaku.  
  
Asuka watched as he explained that he wasn't dating her and told her that he would be happy to show her around Tokyo-3. As they walked away, talking and laughing, Asuka suddenly felt alone.  
  
'Why...why do I suddenly feel so...alone? Shinji...iie...come back Shinji... I - I....I need you...' she thought as a tear slid down her cheek. Brushing it away quickly before anyone to see, she steeled her resolve and turned on her heel. "Fine! I'll see you at home Shinji Ikari!" she yelled loud enough for him to hear.  
  
"Pilot Sohryu." came Rei's quiet voice from behind her. Spinning around, Asuka faced her, her face contorted with rage.  
  
"What do you want Wondergirl?" she spat. If she hated anything more than losing to Shinji in EVA synch tests or battles, it was Rei. A living replica of a doll, the one thing she despised most of all in the world.  
  
"Why are you so mean to Pilot Ikari?" asked Rei in her mono-tone voice.  
  
"I don't think that's any of your damn business Wondergirl!" yelled Asuka.  
  
"Is it that you like Pilot Ikari?" asked Rei innocently.  
  
Asuka blushed. "I don't think that's really your concern whether I do or don't like Shinji! Just stay out of things that don't concern dolls like you!" screamed Asuka as she stomped past Rei and towards her apartment she shared with Misato and Shinji. 'Maybe...maybe I do like Shinji.. '  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's note: So? What did you guys think? It IS my first Evangelion fic, and it is in my perspective! Please review and let me know what you think! And sorry for the little itty bitty spelling errors, but my stupid computer doesn't have spell check! -sob- So, sorry if I seem like... I'm stupid or something for spelling stuff wrong...Heehee... Ja ne! ~*~ Nagi  
  
Feedback and ideas are always welcome at: yanagimayo@yahoo.com 


	2. Long Lost Emotions

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
Author's note: Once again, this is the REVISED version thanks to "cl4yivi0r3" and his/her helpful advice. Reminder: This story is in MY perspective, and will be significantly different from the actual series! Anyway, have fun reading! Ja ne! ~*~ Nagi  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Title: Until the Day I Die  
  
Chapter title: Long Lost Emotions  
  
By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So...here we are." said Shinji a little awkwardly. He was completly embarrassed at how Asuka had acted towards Shikaku. He looked over the cliff off into the lake that Unit 00 had created after self-destructing. Although he hated what it was from, he had to admitt that the water had a calming affect on him.  
  
"S - Shinji?" asked Shikaku quietly.  
  
"Hai? What is it?" said Shinji, turning so he could face her. Her hair blew gently in the light breeze, her face turned towards the lake. Resting her arms on the railing, she stared in wonder at why such a large lake was in a city.  
  
"Why...is there this lake? I've never seen any city with a lake this big...or one at all." she said, almost in a whisper.  
  
"Oh... Uhh... Well, you see...there was an explosion a few weeks ago..." said Shinji, returning his gaze to the water.  
  
"What?! Wh - what happened?!" shrieked Shikaku loudly.  
  
'Should I tell her?' asked Shinji mentally. Shaking his head, he smiled slightly. "Nothing important. An Angel showed up and the Evangelions had to fight them. Not a big deal."  
  
"Was anyone hurt?"  
  
"Iie, no one lives in this part of town. Plus, it was in the middle of the night when it happened."  
  
"Oh... Well, it's still beautiful." said Shikaku in awe as she looked out at the sparkling water. Shinji watched her in silence, not sure of what else there was to talk about.  
  
"Uhh... Shi? Would...would you like to come back to my place for dinner? You know, just a little hospitality thing we do here in Tokyo-3." he said. "Misato's not a very good cook, but Asuka and I are pretty good. Good enough to cover for Misato anyway." he added with a small laugh.  
  
"That would be really nice of you Shinji... But I'm afraid I have to go home..." said Shikaku with a sad smile.  
  
"Erm... Okay. Well, I better get going before Misato decides to cook tonight." said Shinji, smiling slightly. The two parted ways, neither thinking along the same line.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Where is he?!" fumed Asuka. Misato sighed and put her pen down. Coming into the living room, she found Asuka pacing the floor worried out of her mind.  
  
"Asuka? Wha - what are you doing?" she asked, not wanting to make the redhead angrier than she already was.  
  
"Waiting for Shinji the Idiot to come home!" she said, furrowing her brow and stopping her pacing. Realization dawned on Misato and she smiled mischeviously.  
  
"You like him don't you? That's why you're so worried when he's late to come home."  
  
"W - what?! No, that's not it Misato! That's not it at all!" said Asuka, her head whipping towards Misato, her cheeks flushed.  
  
"Then what is it exactly?" asked Misato, the goofy grin still in place.  
  
"I... I just want him to come home in case there's an Angel emergency is all!" she said as she stalked towards her room. She paused at her door as a thought came to her. 'Why...can't I just tell Misato? It's not like she'd tell Shinji... No! I don't need anyone! I have to be strong!'  
  
"Ahh... Well, why don't we start dinner?" said Misato, happy for anything to take her mind off work and NERV.  
  
"Yeah... Let's start dinner..." mumbled Asuka as she silently followed Misato into the kitchen, her mind reeling with emotions that were once long lost.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Misato, Asuka! I'm home!" called Shinji from the front door.  
  
"Shinji!" shrieked Asuka angrily. "You're late! Misato and I have been cooking our asses off while you've been out with Shikaku!" she said, a hint of jealousy in her voice.  
  
"I - er... I'm sorry..." mumbled Shinji.  
  
"Once again, the Mighty Shinji is apologizing! Will you knock that shit off already?!" yelled Asuka. Turning around, she crossed her arms, her eyebrows furrowed. "You know I only tease you so you'll become stronger don't you?" she asked quietly.  
  
"You - you do?" asked Shinji, completely shocked. He always thought it was because she hated him for beating her in the EVA synch tests that one time.  
  
"Yeah, of course I do." she said gently as she turned around. Placing a hand on his cheek, she smiled. The warmth in his cheek prickled against her hand, making a shiver go down her spine. Withdrawing her hand, she headed for the table. "Come on idiot. Time to eat."  
  
"Uhh...okay." said Shinji quietly. Placing a hand on his cheek, he could still feel where her finger tips had barely brushed his skin. He blushed slightly and smiled.  
  
"SHINJI!" yelled Asuka. "GET YOUR ASS IN HERE AND EAT!"  
  
"Hai!" called Shinji as he quickly slipped his shoes off and joined them at the table. All throughout dinner there was an uncomfortable silence between the three as they ate. Considering Misato had helped cook, he had to give Asuka credit, the food was actually decent enough to eat this time.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Shinji, why don't you practice your cello?" asked Misato. Both of the Pilots had finished their homework hours ago. Asuka had been the first one to claim the bathroom, and that had been nearly an hour ago.  
  
"I'm waiting for Asuka to get out so I can take a bath Misato." said Shinji. He knew if he didn't wait and run in as soon as Asuka was done, Misato would be next and she took longer than Asuka did!  
  
"Ahh... Well, she can't be too much longer can she?" asked Misato as she changed the channel on the television.  
  
"I hope not..." mumbled Shinji as he looked in the direction of the bathroom. He could only hear silence, so he fixed his numb mind on the television as Misato began laughing at the idiotic comment one of the contestants on a game show had just said.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
'Why is this happening to me?' thought Asuka as she sat in the bath. Submerged in warm water, just like her EVA was submerged, she shivered. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she hung her head. 'I shouldn't need anyone...not even Shinji...'  
  
Finally draining the water, she stood, wrapping her towel around herself and stepping out onto the cold tile floor. Positioning herself infront of the mirror, she wiped some of the condensed air off the surface to look at herself. Her damp red hair hung over her shoulders, her eyes misting over. Gripping the edge of the sink until her knuckles became white, she fought off the tears she knew were coming.  
  
"I don't need Shinji... I don't need anyone!" she whispered over and over again under her breath. After a few moments of silence, she hung her head, choking under the bottled up emotions in her throat. "Who am I kidding? I need you Shinji..." she said as her voice cracked. Silent tears began streaming down her face and she fell to her knees burrying her head in her arms. "I need you Shinji... I need you more than anything...more than my EVA." she whispered.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Shinji turned his head towards the bathroom, causing Misato to look at him. "What is it Shinji?" she asked as her laughter subsided.  
  
"I - I think I hear someone crying." he said quietly.  
  
"You must be hearing things. We know neither of us are crying, and Asuka's never cried before and we know she won't anytime soon. Must be your imagination again Shinji." said Misato carelessly as she returned her attention to the television.  
  
"Hai...just my imagination... It must be." muttered Shinji as he returned his gaze to the television, but not really seeing it. 'Asuka, I know you're crying... Why? Why are you crying?' he thought.  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's note: I hope you liked it so far! I promise to finish this fic unlike my other one... -looks over at my DBZ fic "Gohan and Videl: True Love at Last"- That's never gonna be finished... Anyway! Please review and DON'T chew me out! -sobs- But anyway, ja ne! ~*~ Nagi  
  
Feedback and ideas are always welcome at: yanagimayo@yahoo.com 


	3. That Time of Month

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
Author's note: Okay people, for those of you who have read this far (and are interested in the story), YAY! ^^ I'm so happy you like it so far. (At least I would HOPE so...) This is the revised version thanks to "cl4yivi0r3" and his/her wonderful advice to make this story better. At least...I hope so! Don't forget, this story is in MY perspective! So have fun, and review if you want to! Ja ne! ~*~ Nagi  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Title: Until the Day I Die  
  
Chapter title: That Time of Month  
  
By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
For the next few weeks, Shikaku began to get to know everyone in class, as well as flirting with Shinji. Asuka on the other hand, became more distant from Shinji and the others than ever before. As she sat at her desk, hand under her chin, staring off into nothing, Hikari walked up to her.  
  
"Asuka, what's wrong? You've been really quiet lately." she asked, concerned for her friend.  
  
"N - nothing's wrong Hikari... I just..." she said before sighing heavily. "I just don't have anything to talk about right now, that's all."  
  
"Oh... Well, if you ever need to talk to me, don't forget that my door is always open to you Asuka." said Hikari before walking over to her desk.  
  
"Yeah... I will." said Asuka as she watched Shikaku approach Shinji out of the corner of her eyes.  
  
"Good morning Shinji!" said Shikaku happily, her eyes shining.  
  
"Huh? Oh, ohayou Shikaku." said Shinji off-handedly. Touji glared and Kensuke glowered.  
  
"Excuse me... May we talk to you for a moment Shinji? In private?" asked Touji, hissing the last part in Shinji's ear as he grabbed his arm.  
  
"Uhh... Yeah, please excuse me Shikaku." said Shinji as he followed Touji and Kensuke to the other side of the class room.  
  
"What's wrong with you?!" breathed Touji.  
  
"W - what? What do you mean? There's nothing wrong with -" began Shinji before Kensuke cut him off.  
  
"You're an idiot you know?"  
  
"Hai, Asuka reminds me everyday of that!" said Shinji, smiling wryly.  
  
"No! You're an idiot because you have Shikaku, the hottest girl in school, flirting with you and you don't even realize it!" hissed Touji.  
  
"So? We're just friends." said Shinji, not entirely understanding what they were trying to say. (A/N: Don't you just love how he's so innocent and unaware of anything happening?)  
  
"Yeah, friends with benefits!" said Kensuke, grinning widely.  
  
"Now go talk to her! Be more 'friendly'!" said Touji and Kensuke as they pushed Shinji towards Shikaku.  
  
"Uhh, you guys! I don't want to - I'm sorry Shikaku!" said Shinji as he bowed and glared at his friends out of the corner of his eyes. Touji and Kensuke gave him the thumbs up sign before retreating to watch from a safe distance.  
  
"Oh, it's alright Shinji. Almost all the guys have bumped into me this past week." said Shikaku as she giggled.  
  
'Yeah...and I bet it wasn't because they were pushed either...' he thought as he straightened up. "So uh... How have you been?"  
  
"I've been fine! How about you? I mean, living with Asuka must be really draining with her teasing you everyday."  
  
"Oh, actually...she hasn't been teasing me much anymore..." he said as he looked over at Asuka for a brief moment. Rei, sitting in the back of the classroom as always, noticed there was a flicker of concern in Shinji's eyes as he looked over at Asuka.  
  
"Hey! Everyone sit down! The teacher is here!" yelled Hikari above all the chatter in the classroom. Everyone sat down quickly and pulled out their laptops. Soon, they were either asleep or spacing out as the teacher rambled on about the Second Impact.  
  
'Maybe I should take notes on this and ask Misato...' thought Shinji as he began typing furiously.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
As Shinji sat on his futon looking over his notes, he heard a small knock on his door. Looking up from his notes on Second Impact, he wondered who it was.  
  
"Yes? Come in." he said as he set his laptop to the side. Much to his surprise, it wasn't Misato, but Asuka. He was caught by surprise because she normally never knocked, but rather barged into his room to call him a moron and yell at him about being late for something or another. "What Asuka? What's the matter?" he asked with a small smile.  
  
"We have to go to NERV." was all she said before turning on her heel and walking away quietly. 'What's wrong with me?! Normally I would have yelled at him or called him stupid, but now I can't!' she thought as she slipped her shoes on and walked out the front door, leaving Shinji to his thoughts.  
  
'Was...was she just...CIVILIZED to me?!' he thought, shocked beyond all reason. Shaking his head, he regained his senses, quickly put his shoes on and ran after Asuka. Making it inside the elevator before the doors closed, he sighed with relief.  
  
"Asuka, what's wrong? You seem really out of it." he said, concern flashing in his eyes once again.  
  
"Why the hell would anything be wrong with me?!" snapped the firey redhead as she turned to face him. He saw fire in her eyes, and along with the mood swings, that only meant one thing...  
  
"Is it the time of the month or something?" he asked.  
  
"YOU IDIOT!" was heard outside the apartment complex, followed with a loud smacking sound. "How dare you...you...insensitive jerk!" screamed Asuka, her face a crimson red.  
  
Shinji cradled his cheek in his hand as the pain sub-sided to a stinging sensation. Lowering his hand, all that was visible of this lashout by Asuka was a large red handprint aross his cheek. When the door opened, Asuka stomped off to leave Shinji in the elevator as she headed for the train station to take them to Central Dogma and NERV. All throughout the ride there, neither spoke to each other. Shinji was fine with this as he knew he should just let her cool off before making another stupid comment without meaning to and offending her. Once they got off, they crossed the street. Asuka stopped and turned around to face Shinji.  
  
"Shinji Ikari, I will beat you in the sync tests today! Mark my words!" she yelled before running off to Central Dogma.  
  
Shinji smiled and walked after Asuka. "Well, at least she's still her normal self..." he mused as he rubbed his cheek, the pain now dull, but still there. Entering Central Dogma, he swiped his entrance card and entered NERV HQ. Following the familiar pathway, he stopped to look at one of the giant mecha before him.  
  
"Unit 01..." he breathed. Tearing his gaze away from the mecha, he proceeded to the changing rooms to get ready for the sync tests.  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's note: That's about all I could really come up with considering Asuka's sudden change in attitude. -shrugs- Plus it sounds like something he would say to Asuka, which is obviously a bad idea in any situation. Anyway, I hope you liked it! I've been re-watching the few episodes I have to grasp Shinji and Rei's personalities the best I can (I only have eps 1-6) As for Asuka, I'm doing the best I can here people! I'd have to download episode 8 to get her personality the best I can. Please review, let me know if there's any ideas you may have that could make the story better. Arigatou, and ja ne! ~*~ Nagi  
  
Feedback and ideas are always welcome at: yanagimayo@yahoo.com 


	4. Kareoke and Sync Tests

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.

Author's note: Wow! So many reviews, and it's only been up for...what? Four days now? 0.0 This is awesome! I'm really glad that you guys like it, and thank you for all your support and suggestions to make this better! ^-^ Arigatou all of you for being so supportive! ~*~ Nagi

Update: Due to some concerns from both myself and my readers, I've removed the second that previously had the song in it. I'd like to apologize if anyone ever got confused by it; I was really young when I wrote it and didn't know any better.

Title: Until the Day I Die

Chapter title: Kareoke and Sync Tests

By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)

"Maya, are we ready for the tests?" asked Misato as she watched the moniters in the control room. Commander Ikari was watching as well, his hands folded in front of his face and as usual, surveying the control room.

"Yes, all systems green Major." replied Maya as she watched the screens, double checking for anything out of place.

"Then start the tests." said Misato as she watched the screens intently. After a few minutes, Maya's voice rang out in the tense silence.

"Major! Asuka's sync is down!" said Maya, shock clearly evident in her voice.

"What?" yelled Misato as she rushed over to the woman. "She's down by fifteen percent since last time..."

"Then there may be something wrong with her mentally..." mused Ritsuko aloud.

"What the hell does that mean? Asuka's just fine!" yelled Misato.

"All I'm saying is that there could possibly be something wrong with her phsyce is all. Possibly something troubling her." said Ritsuko, watching the video of Asuka, brow furrowed.

"Well, Rei and Shinji seem normal... In fact, Shinji's up by twenty percent!" said Maya, her face lighting up.

"Yeah, he's definitly making improvements...and that's always good. Alright you three!" said Misato into the intercom that was connected to the entry plugs. "Good job. Get out of there, take a shower, and I'll treat you all to ice cream!"

"Major Katsuragi, I think we should do a phsyce test on Asuka. Just to see if there's anything wrong with her." said Ritsuko, stepping up to Misato.

"Look, Doctor Akagi, Asuka is fine! If there's anything wrong with her, I will know. Alright? Now analyze the data and get back to your posts." said Misato angrily before walking past her.

"You're abusing your position Major! I still think we should -"

"Doctor Akagi, do as you're told." was the last thing Misato said before walking out of the control center.

"Commander!" protested Ritsuko.

"Do what you were ordered Doctor Akagi." was all Ikari said before getting up and walking away.

"Hai Commander..." whispered Ritsuko. "Maya! Analyze the data! We haven't got time for this..." 'This isn't over Major Katsuragi...'

"Major Katsuragi, why are you taking us out like this?" inquired Rei in a soft voice.

"Because I believe that you children deserve a break once in awhile you know? Now hurry and pick what flavor you want before I pick for you." she added with a sly grin. The three Children looked at each other, panic etched in Asuka and Shinji's faces while Rei had a blank look as usual.

"I want chocolate!" yelled Shinji before Misato could decide for them.

"I'll take cookie dough!" cried Asuka.

"What will you take Rei?" asked Misato as she handed Asuka and Shinji their ice cream.

"I believe I will try vanilla-chocolate twist Major Katsuragi." said Rei as quiet as ever.

"Please, call me Misato. Only call me Major when at work." whispered Misato with a wink as she handed Rei her ice cream.

"Why Major? I feel most comfortable calling you Major Katsuragi, and I do not want to dishonor my superiors." said Rei as she licked her ice cream. Misato shrugged before getting her ice cream and paying the vendor the Yen she owed him. They walked in silence a ways before Asuka broke the silence.

"Misato, do you know who got the best score for the sync tests today?" she asked with a sly smirk in Shinji's direction.

"Well, to tell you the truth... Shinji did. His sync rates rose by twenty percent as a matter of fact. Good job Shinji." sais Misato while patting him on the head fondly.

"WHAT? There - there must be some kind of mistake Misato! I'm the best Pilot! I can't be out done by HIM!" shrieked Asuka, attracting several stares from people walking the other direction.

"Well, obviously you can be. But don't worry about it too much Asuka. I'm sure you'll improve your sync rate and be catching up in no time." said Misato.

"But - but... This is absurd!" protested Asuka. "There must have been some kind of mistake!"

"Pilot Shoyru, I believe that you should not fret about the sync tests for they are merely testing us to see if we are still able to pilot the EVA's or not." said Rei quietly as she continued to walk.

"Who said you could jump into this conversation Wondergirl?" yelled Asuka.

"Now Asuka, she was merely saying what she felt would be right. Don't get all huffy about it." said Misato, noticing how hostile Asuka seemed towards Rei.

"Oh shut up all of you!" shot back Asuka.

"Asuka, please. Calm down." said Shinji as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Asuka suddenly became tense and brushed his hand away.

"I am calm. I don't know what kind of world YOU live in Shinji, but I'm calm. Do you hear me? I'm CALM!" she said as her cheeks flushed.

'Yeah...must be the time of the month or something...' thought Shinji. "Err...right. What should we do now?" he asked Misato.

"Oh wow! A kareoke bar!" said Misato suddenly, ignoring Shinji completely and pointing to a small cafe on the corner of the street. A dim light emitted from the windows, and looked quite welcoming. "Let's do kareoke!"

"Are...are you sure they'll let us in there Misato?" asked Shinji, uncertain they should enter a bar with Misato of all people.

"Oh of course! I'm a Government Official, they have to let you guys in. Especially considering you're all Pilots!" she said with a wide grin. "Now come on!"

Asuka and Shinji looked at each other and groaned. They knew it was going to be a long night. Seperating Misato from a bar and kareoke was as hard as seperating Asuka from her EVA. They followed her grudingly, and Rei followed them, unsure as to what a bar or kareoke was.

An hour and a half later, they were still at the kareoke bar. Misato had had a little too much to drink and was up on stage singing. As she stumbled off the stage to the applause of the crowd, she plopped down at the table with the Pilots and waved her hand, ordering another drink.

"Uh... Misato? Don't you think you've had enough to drink tonight?" asked Shinji, feeling at a loss with his gaurdian.

"Hey now, kareoke's not the same without having a few drinks!" said Misato as she grinned goofily. Hiccuping, she took the newly opened beer from the waiter and took a long drink.

"A few drinks is the understatement of the century..." mumbled Shinji as he stared into his soda.

"Now we know we've hit rock bottom... Stuck in a kareoke bar with a drunken twit..." muttered Asuka as she rested her cheek on the palm of her hand.

"What did you say?" said Misato as she hiccuped and swayed a little, all the while glaring at what she thought was the redhead.

"Nothing...nothing at all..." mumbled Asuka.

"Good! Now why don't you try Asuka!" said Misato laughing as she nudged Asuka a little bit harder than intended, causing the unsespecting girl to tumble to the floor.

"I - I... I don't want to!" said Asuka as she stood up and brushed herself off. Glaring at Misato, she looked at Rei and Shinji. Rei wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention while she read a text book from school she had brought with her. 'Pfft... What a geek!' thought Asuka.

"Come on Asuka! It'll be fun!" said Misato, giddy as ever. Asuka sighed and looked at Shinji, still debating whether she should or not. Shinji smiled warmly and nodded. This gave her all the confidence she needed.

"Fine! But if any of you tell anyone about this, I'll personally kill you." she warned before walking over to the DJ. Shinji watched as she whispered something in his ear, she smiled when he nodded his approval and she walked up the small set of stairs to the stage. She cleared her throat and waited for the first notes to fill the air and the words to appear on the small screen.

As the last notes faded, a thunderous applause sounded throughout the entire bar. Asuka smiled and jumped off stage, returning to the table. Shinji, Rei and Misato were all clapping as hard as they could. Asuka sat down and smirked knowingly. After a few moments, the applause died down as another person walked on stage, intent on singing.

"Wow! You were awesome Asuka!" said Shinji happily. "I had no idea you were that good at singing!"

"Yes, I agree with Pilot Ikari. Your singing was superb Pilot Shoryu." said Rei and she smiled a rare smile.

"Really great! Awesome job Asuka!" said Misato clasping a hand on Asuka's shoulder.

"Yeah...well, it's not that hard believe me." said Asuka, blushing slightly. "Can we go home now? I'm really tired, and Misato here looks like she's going to pass out at any moment." she teased.

"Oh bite me." said Misato standing. "But hai, let's go home. Rei, would you like us to escort you home first?"

"No, I believe I will be able to make it home safely on my own." said Rei as she stood up and bowed. "Thank you for including me in your evening Major Katsuragi." she added softly before grabbing her bag and exiting the building.

"No problem Rei!" laughed Misato as she stood up and swayed a little bit. Shinji and Asuka each put a hand on Misato's back to steady her as they walked the two blocks home. Once they got home and deposited Misato on her futon, they went into the living room.

"Asuka, you were...amazing tonight." said Shinji quietly. Asuka blushed and smiled.

"Thanks Shinji. I wasn't going to, but... Nevermind..." she said as she adverted her gaze. She was extremely thankful for the fact that it was dark, or she was sure he would know just how red her face was.

"Alright. Well, good night Asuka." said Shinji as he turned to head for his room. He never expected what happened next.

"Shinji...w - wait!" said Asuka, her voice shaking slightly. He turned around in time to see her lunge at him, hugging him tightly. "Thanks...thank you Shinji."

"F - for what? What are you thanking me for?" asked Shinji, blushing. He returned the hug and they stood that way for a few moments before Asuka finally pulled away.

"Just because." she said before gently kissing his cheek. "Good night idiot." With the smallest of smiles, she squeezed his hand before walking into her room and sliding the door shut.

"G - good night Asuka..." whispered Shinji as he put his fingertips up to where she had kissed him moments ago. He numbly walked into his bedroom and lay down on his futon, still fully clothed. He fell asleep just before sunrise, not wanting to forget the events of the night.

Author's note: There ya go! Someone reviewed and said I should put a bit more fluff in here, so how's that? Believe me, there is more fluff on the way, I'm just really tired... -yawns- School starts tomorrow, so I should probably go get some sleep. I hope you liked it, and please review! Ja ne! ~*~ Nagi

Feedback and ideas are always welcome at:


	5. An Unexpected Visitor

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. (Thanks to "cl4yivi0r3" for telling me!) I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
Author's note: I would like to thank "cl4yivi0r3", although I am sure that is not your real name. ;D You gave me excellent advice on the characters and how to improve the story. So, due to his/her excellent advice, I will be removing the Romaji in all the chapters (see revised versions of chapters 1-4). Sorry to all those who liked them, but ah well. And as for "NPH", I really don't care what you say about my story. So NYAH! You can review all you want, but I will just ignore you. Anyway! I would like to remind you all that this story is in MY perspective, so things will be a little bit...different. With that said, let the story begin!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Title: Until the Day I Die  
  
Chapter title: An Unexpected Vistor  
  
By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Guten morgen Shinji!" said Asuka sarcasticly as Shinji walked out of his room, still wearing the clothes from yesterday. Shinji yawned widely and sat down at the table.  
  
"Morning..." he mumbled as he stiffled a yawn. Looking at the table, he noticed there were dishes that looked like they were once filled with lunch for one on the table. "Umm... Asuka? What time is it?"  
  
"One o' clock. You slept all day." she said as she sat down to face him. Her expression went from being a slightly happy look to one of a stern, thinking one. "What were you doing last night that kept you up all night?"  
  
"Erm... I was...thinking..." mumbled Shinji. Asuka crossed her arms and glared at him.  
  
"Feh, thinking my ass! You were doing something perverted again weren't you?!" she yelled.  
  
"N - no! I was not!" protested Shinji, blushing furiously. 'How the hell can she go and accuse me of that?!'  
  
"Ha, like I believe you!" shot back Asuka. "You were, and we both know it!"  
  
"I WAS NOT!" roared Shinji as he stood up, knocking Asuka's can of soda over in his haste.  
  
"What's with all the yelling?" mumbled a drowzy Misato as she stood in the doorway. She was still in her clothes from the previous night, just as Shinji was, but she had dark shadows under her eyes and she looked slightly sick as well.  
  
"Misato, are you alright? You look...well...sick." said Asuka, a disgusted look crossing her face as Misato clutched the doorway to keep herself from falling over.  
  
"I'm fine. Just a little hangover...nothing to worry about. Just keep it down, I'm trying to sleep." she muttered before shuffling her way back to her bedroom and collapsing on her futon, the door still open. Shinji walked over to her room and quietly slid the door shut.  
  
"I can't believe you..." he muttered before turning to face Asuka. He glared at her for a few moments before returning to the table. "I can't believe you would accuse me of being a pervert."  
  
"Well, you're a guy! What else can I do?" said Asuka as she stood up, a wet towel in her hand. All Shinji could do was stare. She had just cleaned up a mess he made...that was a first.  
  
"Believe me when I tell the truth?"  
  
"Oh, so how am I supposed to know when you lie?" said Asuka in a sassy tone, placing one hand on her hip.  
  
"I would never lie to you Asuka. You're my best friend, I couldn't do that." he said as he walked to the sink and turned on the water. He watched the water run, and the faintest of smiles lit his face up.  
  
Asuka watched him wash the dishes for a few moments before heading into the living room. Turning on the television, she stared aimlessly at it, not paying attention to the show, but rather thinking.  
  
'He...he said I was his best friend... No one but Hikari has ever told me that before.' she thought as she smiled too. A knock on the door interupted her thoughts and she grumbled as she got up to answer the door. Opening it, she was lost for words.  
  
"Hello, is Shinji home?" said Shikaku, a smile on her face. Seeing Asuka answer the door, her smile faultered slightly.  
  
"What do you want?" said Asuka venomously, as she leaned against the doorway and crossed her arms.  
  
"I wanted to see Shinji." said Shikaku calmly. "Is he home?"  
  
"Yeah he's home. But how did you find out where we live?!"  
  
"Oh, Shinji's friend Touji Suzahara told me. He's a very nice guy. I can see why Hikari likes him." said Shikaku as she stiffled a giggle.  
  
'That idiot! He's going to die next time I see him!' thought Asuka as she looked at Shikaku. "I'll go get Shinji..."  
  
"Thank you!" called Shikaku as Asuka walked away.  
  
"Hey, idiot." said Asuka in a dull voice as she entered the kitchen.  
  
"What Asuka?"  
  
"Someone's here to see you. And it ain't Touji or Kensuke either."  
  
"Oh? Well then..." said Shinji as he turned off the water and dried his hands. He headed to the front door to see Shikaku waiting outside. "Shi! Wha - what are you doing here?"  
  
"Shinji! How are you?" cried Shikaku. She was about to walk inside, but she looked from Shinji to Asuka.  
  
"It's alright. Come on in." said Shinji as he smiled.  
  
"Thank you..." mumbled Shikaku as she entered and slipped her shoes off. "Wow! You have such a nice place here!"  
  
'Yeah well, it wasn't this nice when I first moved in here...' thought Shinji as he remembered how messy everything was when he first moved in compared to now. "Erm... So what are you doing here?"  
  
"Oh!" said Shikaku as she dug a hand into her purse. "Where are they...? Oh, here they are!" She withdrew her hand to show Shinji two concert tickets.  
  
"What are they for?" asked Shinji as he looked closely at them.  
  
"For a concert silly! Down in Tokyo-3 stadium (A/N: Is there one? Ah well... Don't rant on me about this!) tonight! Would you like to join me?"  
  
"What band is playing?"  
  
"Do as Infinity." said Shikaku smiling. (A/N: My fave Japanese band besides Hitomi and V6. And yes, they all do Inu Yasha songs... XD) "They're my favorite band and I've waited forever to be able to see them in concert!"  
  
"Okay... Sure, why not? I'll go. What time is it?" said Shinji, his heart racing.  
  
"It's at eight o' clock, so we should probably meet up around seven so we can get good seats. Why don't we meet at..." she trailed off, trying to think of a place to meet.  
  
"The school. We both know where that is, and I'm sure the stadium isn't too far from there." said Shinji.  
  
"Yeah! That sounds good. So I'll meet you at school around seven. See you then!" said Shikaku as she slipped her shoes back on and ran out of the apartment and towards the elevator.  
  
"So...sounds like somebody's going on a date tonight." said Asuka with a smirk on her face as she leaned against the doorway.  
  
"Must you always listen in on my conversations?" sighed Shinji.  
  
"Of course! They're always much more entertaining than watching television you know!" said Asuka as she laughed.  
  
"And do all you jokes have to be at my expense?"  
  
"Of course! It wouldn't be a complete day without teasing you Shinji." said Asuka grinning. "Don't worry about me and Misato. I'm sure she won't mind since she's got a hangover anyway, and I can take care of myself."  
  
"Are you sure?" asked Shinji.  
  
"Of course! I am the best Pilot am I not? I'm sure I can take care of myself and a drunk Misato by myself. Besides, she's bound to do nothing but sleep all tonight." said Asuka with a small glance towards Misato's bedroom.  
  
"Yeah... Anyway, thanks Asuka! I'm sure this will be fun!"  
  
"You've...never been to a concert have you?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Umm... No, actually...I haven't..."  
  
"Well then, I have alot to teach you! You gotta know the do's and don'ts of going to concerts Shinji. So let's go." said Asuka as she put an arm around his shoulder and led him into the living room.  
  
-- A few hours later --  
  
"No no no! You've got it wrong!" yelled Asuka.  
  
"I'm sorry, but this is all very confusing."  
  
"Aw hell... This is going to take forever!"  
  
"So... Why don't I wear sandels in the motch-pitch?" asked Shinji, confusion clearly evident on his face.  
  
"It's called a MOSH PIT! Not a motch-pitch! God... And you don't wear sandels because that's where everyone's really crazy. You could get a toenail ripped off." (A/N: This happened to one of my friends last year at the Warp Tour... XD)  
  
"Gross... Okay, so no sandels..." said Shinji as he stored that piece of information in the back of his mind. "So what else do I don't want to do?"  
  
"You don't want to go crowd surfing. The other people are bound to be drunk, so they'll just drop you and you'll get trampeded on."  
  
"Okay... Has that ever happened to you?"  
  
"No, not to me, but to one of my old friends in Germany." said Asuka. She remembered how she had suggested that her friend do that, and after that incident, they had never spoken again. "Anyway, don't go crowd surfing. Stay out of the nosebleed section because that's where all the druggies are, and stay away from the speakers."  
  
"Why?" inquired Shinji out of pure innocence.  
  
"Because for one, you could get permanent ear damage. And two, there have been cases where the speakers got knocked over and killed the person it landed on."  
  
"Oh... Okay, so no sandels, no crowd surfing, stay away from the speakers and nosebleed section. I got it. So what DO I want to do?"  
  
"That my friend, is a completely different story." said Asuka as she looked at the clock. "Shinji! It's already six o' clock! You better go get ready for the concert!"  
  
"But what about -"  
  
"Don't worry. Just do what you think is right. But no beer, I don't want you coming home drunk you hear?"  
  
"Yes ma'am!" said Shinji as she saluted her jokingly.  
  
"Alright, so go get ready! You don't want to keep Shikaku waiting!" said Asuka smiling. She watched him get up and run to his room. Sighing, she stood up and stretched. "Well, at least he'll get to have some fun tonight. As for me... I'm stuck home by myself while he goes on a date..."  
  
Ten minutes later, Shinji had gotten ready. After hugging Asuka good-bye and promising to tell her every detail about the concert when he got back, he left for the school.  
  
"Have fun Shinji..." said Asuka as she waved good-bye from the doorway. Letting the door slide shut, she leaned against it and sighed. "Have fun...and come back soon..."  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's note: Okay.... Hmm... Oh, someone wanted to know why Shikaku almost started crying because Asuka said that Shinji couldn't show her around town. That's because she's the spoiled brat who's normally used to getting her way. I purposly made her that way, but you'll just have to see what for! Hahaha... Also, someone said that my Rei dialouge is a little off. I'd like to apologize for that. But thankfully, this weekend I'm going to be watching the entire series in Japanese, so once I watch them all and memorize their personalities the best I can, the story should get better in the character development, dialouge and personality wise. I hope you like it so far! Ja ne! ~*~ Nagi  
  
Feedback and ideas are always welcome at: yanagimayo@yahoo.com 


	6. Shinji's First Concert

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
Author's note: La... Sorry for not updating, I've been moving... You know the whole deal if you've moved... No computer for a few days equals too much e-mail, many reviews, demands for new chapters from friends, a speaker for you computer blowing out and stumbling across pictures of your first dance/date... Anyway, here's chapter six, and sorry for the delay!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Title: Until the Day I Die  
  
Chapter title: Shinji's First Concert  
  
By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
As Shinji ran up to the Junior High School, he found Shikaku already waiting for him. Glancing at his watch, he noticed that it was twenty before seven. Resolving his courage and catching his breath, he walked up to Shikaku.  
  
"Hello." he said quietly in a mysterious voice, causing her to squeak and jump a few inches in the air. Turning around, she sighed with relief.  
  
"Oh, it's only you Shinji. Don't scare me like that!"  
  
"I'm sorry. I just...couldn't help it y'know?" he admitted as he smirked. 'Heh... Asuka would smack me right about now...' Shikaku smiled and nodded in agreement.  
  
"Yeah, I do that sometimes as well. You look really nice tonight!" she said as she looked at his outfit. He was wearing a loose t-shirt with the phrase 'Wai' on it, some shorts that went down to his knees that had cargo pockets and sneakers. He looked like your average teenager, and not an Evangelion Pilot.  
  
"You do too." he said, not knowing what else to say. She was wearing a dark blue tank top that showed a bit of cleavage, a khaki mini skirt and platform knee-high boots that seemed to have steel toes. Her hair was up in two messy buns atop her head, the trademark pieces of hair in front of her ears. She had on large silver hoop earrings and two more piercing on the top portion of her ears that Shinji had never noticed before.  
  
"Thank you." said Shikaku quietly, blushing. "So, shall we get going then?"  
  
"Yeah, I suppose we should. Besides, now we can get really good seats." said Shinji. Shikaku slipped her arm around Shinji's, holding his in the crook of her elbow.  
  
"This is going to be so much fun!" she said as she giggled and happily looked up at his surprised face.  
  
-- Back at the Katuragi residence --  
  
"God... Is there nothing on tonight?!" screamed Asuka as she flung the remote across the room. Watching it hit the wall and falls to the floor she glowered. "Why couldn't I go to the concert? It would've been such a great time! Even with that bitch there..." she mumbled.  
  
"Asuka? What was that noise?" mumbled Misato as she paused in the doorway, clearly on her way to the bathroom.  
  
"N - nothing Misato. Nothing at all!" laughed Asuka as she sweat dropped. 'If she really knew that I just threw the remote and almost broke it I'd really have it... Even if she IS drunk!' she thought.  
  
"Oh... Alright. Just keep it down alright? You have no idea how much my head hurts right now..."  
  
"Alright Misato..." muttered Asuka as she turned back to the television. Once Misato finished in the bathroom and was returning to her room, a thought struck Asuka. "Hey, Misato?"  
  
"Hmm...?" mumbled Misato as she paused to look at Asuka.  
  
"Would it be alright if I had Hikari over for a little bit?" asked the young girl. Misato looked at her young ward and frowned.  
  
"No, not tonight. I'm sorry... You can go over there if you like. Just not when I'm feeling so..." said Misato, trailing off as she suddenly clapped a hand over her mouth and dashed for the bathroom. Asuka shuddered visibly and returned her gaze to the television once again.  
  
"Never mind... I'll stay here and watch you." mumbled Asuka when she heard Misato shuffling in the hallway. Misato exhaled and went into her room, sliding the door shut.  
  
"I'm sorry Asuka... Just not tonight..." whispered Misato, sensing how disappointed Asuka was feeling. "Maybe some other time..."  
  
-- Tokyo-3 Stadium --  
  
"Hello! Welcome to Tokyo-3 Stadium! Tonight we're featuring Do As Infinity. We hope you enjoy the show!" said a young woman as she took Shinji and Shikaku's tickets. She seemed a bit dazed, as if she had been doing this for many years.  
  
"So... What exactly do we do now?" asked Shinji.  
  
"You mean you don't know?!" shrieked Shikaku.  
  
"Well... This is my first concert and Asuka was in the middle of explaining what I should and shouldn't do and I had to leave to meet you." said Shinji as he hung his head. "I'm sorry..."  
  
"Oh, don't be sorry Shinji. With this being your first time going to a concert, it's acceptable not to know what to do. But what did she tell you so far?"  
  
"Well, she told me not to wear sandals in the mosh pit, no crowd surfing, and stay away from the nosebleed section and the speakers." said Shinji as he counted off the things on his fingers.  
  
"Okay..." said Shikaku slowly. "That covers just about everything. Did she say anything else?"  
  
"Oh yeah! She said no beer. Like I would drink it. I could if I really wanted to at home with Misato being there and all..."  
  
"That's erm...funny Shinji... Come on! The number one thing you MUST do is buy lots of water and food. It's somewhat expensive, but I think I have enough money for the both of us." said Shikaku as she drug Shinji towards the concession stand.  
  
-- An hour later --  
  
"Why won't it start?!" screamed Shikaku as she jumped up and down in her anger.  
  
"I'm sure it will start soon. Just calm down Shi!" said Shinji as calmly as he could. They were standing in the middle of a huge crowd of rowdy teenagers and young adults and it was making him uncomfortable. 'Are people always like this at a concert?'  
  
"What?! I can't hear you Shinji!" said Shikaku as she covered her ears from the noise the others in the stadium were yelling equally as load.  
  
"I said calm down! I'm sure it will start soon!" yelled Shinji as loud as he could in Shikaku's ear without hurting her eardrum.  
  
"Oh! Hey, it's starting!" yelled Shikaku gleefully as she pointed to the stage. Shinji couldn't hear a word she had said, but understood what she meant by her gestures towards the stage. He watched as a young man in a suit made his way across the stage that was still enclosed in the deep, blood red curtains and took the microphone.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen! It is my pleasure to bring to you tonight, Do As Infinity!" the young man yelled enthusiastically into the microphone. Everyone started cheering as the man dashed off the stage. The curtains rose and the band entered through the west entrance.  
  
"Good evening Tokyo-3! It's my honor to be here, and to see so many of you here tonight. Now, let's start with one of my favorite songs, 'Tangerine Dream!'" said the lead singer. Picking up her guitar, she began strumming the soft rock tune. Shinji stared, amazed at what he was feeling. Was it...joy? For the first time, well since he was praised for his EVA piloting, he was truly happy.  
  
"See, I told you it would be fun!" yelled Shikaku over the music. Shinji couldn't hear her, but turned to look at her. Her smile informed him of what she was trying to tell him and he smiled and nodded back. He then proceeded to copying the rest of the crowd by jumping around like a moron.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
As Shinji walked up the steps to Shikaku's door, he turned to watch her. It was the most he could do to repay her for the moment. Opening her door for her, he watched as she stepped up to the thresh hold.  
  
"Thank you Shinji." she said hoarsely. They had both nearly lost their voices with the amount of screaming/yelling they had done. Shinji had come to realize that Asuka had made some points that he was glad of. Others had gone crowd surfing only to be dropped by the drunken teenagers, when they passed the nosebleed section they saw some men smoking something that smelled oddly like opium, and his ears were ringing even while being far away from the speakers. He smiled and nodded, not daring to speak at the risk of losing his voice any further.  
  
"It was fun, I'll see you at school on Monday." said Shikaku quietly. As she turned to head inside, she felt a hand grab her wrist firmly. Turning around, she found herself looking into Shinji's blue eyes.  
  
"Thank you Shikaku. It was a lot of fun. Thank you for taking me to see my first concert. I'll never forget this."  
  
"You're welcome Shinji." said Shikaku as she hugged him. "I - I'll see you at school." she said as she scratched her head and blushed, before dashing inside the house. Shinji quietly shut the door for her and started heading home himself.  
  
'Oh my God... I'm so tired... I just want to sleep...' was all he could think of on the way home. Well, that and how annoying that ringing in his ears was, and how sore his throat was. Sliding the door open to his apartment that he shared with his fellow NERV workers, he found Asuka, nearly asleep at the kitchen table waiting for him.  
  
"Asuka?" he croaked as he slipped his shoes off and slowly headed in her direction.  
  
"Shinji, you're home! So how was it? Oh, and here." she said as she instantly woke up and shoved a glass of some kind of liquid in his hands.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"It's tea of course. I knew you'd need it when you got home. Helps prevent further loss of voice you know." she said with the smallest hint of a smile. Shinji nodded and gratefully took a large gulp of the warm liquid. It instantly soothed his throat and he felt like he would be able to talk to his companion as long as he had a large supply of warm tea.  
  
"Thank you Asuka." he said as his throat tightened slightly. Why was she looking at him like that? What was that emotion he saw in her eyes? 'Could it be... No! Why would she show affection? I mean, especially towards me...' he thought as he drank some more of his tea.  
  
"Your welcome. Now come on! Tell me about the concert! And don't leave anything out either! I will find out if you did or not." said Asuka in a warning voice. But her eyes instantly gave her away and she knew it. They were shining with enthusiasm, joy, and...affection. Affection for Shinji.  
  
Over the next two hours, Shinji relayed the entire evening at the concert. His throat began to feel better due the mass amount of tea he had consumed, but it still became tight whenever he looked into Asuka's eyes for a brief second. He just couldn't place that emotion. Finally yawning, Asuka looked over at the clock.  
  
"God! It's one in the morning already Shinji. We should get some sleep." she said as she stood up and gathered their empty mugs. Placing them in the sink she turned to see his shocked expression. "What? So now it's a crime for me to clean something for once?"  
  
"N - no, of course not Asuka. It's just...never mind." said Shinji as he dropped his gaze.  
  
"Tell me now! God damnit, tell me!" whispered Asuka forcefully as she rounded on him and glared. Shinji sighed and opened his eyes. He found himself staring into her dark blue eyes. Suddenly, he forgot what he was going to say and leaned in to kiss her. Asuka shrieked and slapped him, the unexpected force knocking him over.  
  
"Wha - what now?!" yelled Shinji as he held his cheek.  
  
"How dare you! I can't believe you just tried to do - do...THAT!" she yelled back, her face crimson.  
  
"DO WHAT?!"  
  
"You...you don't know what you just tried to do?" asked Asuka, blinking a few times in disbelief.  
  
"No... What did I do Asuka? Please tell me." said Shinji as he stood up to face her. Asuka blushed as his blue eyes bore into hers and she quickly turned away.  
  
"N - never mind... It - it's nothing, really. I'm just going to go to sleep... Good night Shinji..." she mumbled as she slid past him and quickly entered her room.  
  
"What...did I do?" whispered Shinji as he shut off the light and headed for his room and the sleepless night that awaited him yet again.   
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Inside her bedroom, Misato rolled over and blinked. She had heard the whole thing and she knew that Shinji had done something he shouldn't have. But what was it? She yawned and returned to sleep, thinking that she would just have to ask Asuka in the morning.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Why Shinji?! Why did you have to do that?" whispered Asuka into her pillow as she fought back tears. "You bastard, why?" She finally fell asleep, silent tears falling onto her pillow and dreaming of a day when it was she and Shinji, alone and no one else.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's note: 0.0 I dunno why, but I felt that more fluff was in order here considering this IS a Shinji/Asuka fic. Or...eventually will be anyway. :D I hope you liked it, and please let me know if you have any ideas in order to make this a better fic! Ja ne! ~ Nagi  
  
Feedback and ideas are always welcome at: yanagimayo@yahoo.com 


	7. Breakfast, Issues and Requests

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
Author's note: Yay! I seem to have "earned" my computer back early! Actually...more like three WEEKS early! :D I'm so happy about that! Not only do I get my computer back, but I get to work on this! Yaaaaay! :D Sorry to keep you waiting, but parents can be stupid you know? Anyway, here's chapter seven and I hope you enjoy it!  
  
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Title: Until the Day I Die Chapter title: Breakfast, Issues and Requests By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The next morning, Shinji woke up from his short sleep. Although he had only received two hours of sleep that night, he was wide awake. Quickly getting showered and dressed, he began preparing breakfast. Asuka and Misato, who looked considerably better, both, came in the kitchen looking tired.  
  
"Morning! Breakfast is almost ready." said Shinji as cheerfully as he could. Misato and Asuka looked at each other and sat down at the table.  
  
'Well...at least Shinji's cooking today. If Misato was I'd be afraid I'd end up like she was yesterday...' thought Asuka as she stared at the table. Misato noticed her young ward seeming very interested in the table, and instantly became suspicious.  
  
"Asuka? What's wrong?" she inquired quietly.  
  
"It's nothing Misato... Just lack of sleep is all. Nothing too major." mumbled Asuka as she began tracing a small pattern in the wood's grain with her fingertip.  
  
"Well, if you want to talk to me about it don't forget I'm always here for you. Okay?" whispered Misato. As she straightened back up, Shinji came in carrying a large pot of rice. Setting it down, he looked over at Asuka briefly. There were tear stains on her cheeks and she looked very tired.  
  
"I - I'll go get the...the erm...uhh..." he stuttered, noticing Misato looking at him.  
  
"You'll go get me a beer, you and Asuka some tea, and the toast. Am I correct?" said Misato in a tone that meant that she was telling him to, rather than asking him to.  
  
"Yeah. That's what I was going to go get." said Shinji as he awkwardly left to go retrieve the other items for breakfast. Once he had returned, he began serving the food. Handing Misato her plate as she took a long draft from her beer, he turned to Asuka. "Asuka, can you hand me your plate please?"  
  
"Humph! I can get it myself thank you very much Shinji Ikari!" scoffed Asuka as she knocked his hand away and helped herself to some rice and toast. Shinji sighed and waited until she was done before filling his plate as well. They ate in an awkward silence, which suited Shinji well since he had a lot to think about. Asuka had barely touched her food before standing up claiming that she was done.  
  
"But Asuka. We have another sync test today. You'll need your strength!" said Shinji in a concerned tone of voice. Asuka looked at him for the first time that morning before sitting back down.  
  
"Fine! I'll eat." she said as she glared at the food before her. She ate gingerly, noticing that Shinji was watching her the entire time. Slamming her chopsticks down on the table, she looked up at him, a vein in her temple twitching. "What?! Why do you keep staring at me Shinji?! Have you never seen a person eat before?!"  
  
"N - no, that's not it... It's..."  
  
"It's what? It's that you finally remembered what you did last night and now you're ashamed?! Well, I hope you are. And I don't need your pity Ikari, I can survive by myself! I don't need you, or anyone else! Now if you will excuse me, I have to go prepare for my sync test today." she said before storming off to her room.  
  
"Well, I hope you've learned your lesson Shinji. Never try to kiss a woman who's in distress." said Misato as she lowered her beer.  
  
"Wha - what do you mean?" asked Shinji, blushing.  
  
"I know that you tried to kiss her last night. I don't need to ask Asuka that. I can tell by the way you two have been acting. And yes Shinji, I heard her yelling at you last night. She's been under a lot of stress Shinji, don't push your luck."  
  
"Uhh...right. Well, I suppose I had better get ready for that test..." said Shinji as he quickly stood and exited the room.  
  
"Alright. Be ready in thirty minutes, both of you!" yelled Misato. Hearing the two Pilots murmur their agreements, she drained her beer and began getting ready herself for the long day that awaited them.  
  
-- Thirty minutes later --  
  
As Misato was getting her shoes on, she heard a knock on the door. Wondering who it was, she slid the door open to see Touji and Kensuke standing there.  
  
"Good morning Major Katsuragi!" they said in unison as they saluted.  
  
"Good morning you two. What do you need? I hope it's not to see the Evangelions again." she said with a wink in Kensuke's direction.  
  
"Oh no. But that would be awesome!" breathed Kensuke, obviously thrilled by the prospect.  
  
"Well, you can't and you know it!" yelled Touji. The two boys began bickering and Misato sighed.  
  
"Alright, break it up! What do you two need?"  
  
"We were just wondering if Shinji was home." said Kensuke as he regained his composure.  
  
"He is, but we have to go to NERV for some tests today. I'm sorry... But I'll see to it that he comes over to your house right after. Is it a deal?" said Misato.  
  
"YEAH!" the two boys yelled enthusiastically. Seeing Shinji and Asuka in the doorway, they waved. Shinji waved back, confusion etched on his face; Asuka merely glared and rested her hands on her hip. "Shinji, we'll see you over at Touji's later okay?"  
  
"Erm...okay. See you then..." said Shinji as he continued waving. Asuka snorted and continued putting her shoes on.  
  
"See you Major Katsuragi! Bye Shinji!" said the two boys as they walked off, talking enthusiastically.  
  
"Never even noticed me...the bastards... What am I? Chopped liver?" muttered Asuka as she clasped the buckle on her shoe.  
  
"Oh, don't be so upset Asuka. They only know when not to mess with you is all." said Shinji reassuringly as he bent down to tie his shoes.  
  
"Yeah, unlike someone I know." she muttered as she stood up. "Well, I'm off. I'll see you two there." Misato grabbed Asuka's arm as she attempted to walk through the door.  
  
"No, you're going with us. You will not be leaving here alone, understand?"  
  
"Oh alright, just let me go!" yelled Asuka as she wrenched her arm out of Misato's grasp. Shinji stood up and nodded that he was ready to leave and the three headed to the elevator as the apartment door slid shut behind them.  
  
-- NERV Control Room --  
  
"All systems green Major. Attempting nerve connections now." said Kei-ichi as he began the final preparation for the sync tests.  
  
"Approaching critical point in three, two, and one. Past critical point Major." stated Maya.  
  
"Good. Now then, activate the tests so we can get out of here." said the Operations Director. Maya and Kei-ichi began typing furiously as Misato and Ritsuko watched the screens. Rei and Asuka seemed calm, but Shinji seemed as if he was fighting something off.  
  
"What's wrong with Shinji, Misato?" asked Ritsuko quietly as she pretended to lean over Maya's shoulder to check the nerve connections.  
  
"He - I don't know." corrected Misato quickly. 'This is Shinji's business. I shouldn't go and reveal his personal matters to everyone here.'  
  
"Well, he seems troubled. Perhaps you should talk to him and see what's wrong."  
  
"Of course. I was planning to this afternoon after the tests." said Misato matter-of-factly. In reality, she had no idea what she was going to do about him.  
  
"Good. I'd hate to see our top Pilot go downhill due to something trivial." said Ritsuko.  
  
"Yeah, same here." mumbled Misato as she gazed at the screen that transmitted the inside of Shinji's entry plug. For the next hour or so, Misato and Ritsuko, as well as Maya and Kei-ichi, watched the Pilot's sync rates. Shinji's began going back up, but a few moments later, he screwed his face up as if he were in pain, and his sync plummeted again.  
  
"Alright Pilots. You're done now." said Ritsuko into the intercom that was connected to each of the entry plugs. Shinji and Asuka's face showed relief while Rei's remained blank as ever.  
  
"Well, hurry the hell up and get us out of here!" barked Asuka angrily. Ritsuko frowned but commanded Maya and Kei-ichi to drain the LCL from the plugs and open the hatches.  
  
"Wait! Don't drain Shinji's quite yet." whispered Misato urgently to Kei-ichi.  
  
"Yes Major." he said automatically and withheld the command for Shinji's entry plug.  
  
"Shinji? Can you hear me?" said Misato into the intercom that was connected to Shinji's plug.  
  
"Yes Misato. What is it?" inquired Shinji innocently.  
  
"Can I speak to you in private after you return from the plug? And after you shower of course." said Misato with a small smile.  
  
"Sure. Of course you can Misato...err...Major Katsuragi." said Shinji smiling back.  
  
"Good. See you then." said Misato, then turning to Kei-ichi. "Drain the LCL from Shinji's plug now." she ordered.  
  
"Yes Major." said Kei-ichi smirking slightly. Whatever it was Misato wanted to talk to Shinji about, he had a feeling it had to do with the Pilot's lowered sync rates. "LCL drained and removal from entry plug initiating now."  
  
"Misato, when you get to the reason why Shinji's sync is down, let me know will you?" requested Ritsuko.  
  
"Yeah, of course. It's really not a problem." said Misato as she laughed lightly. Turning to Commander Ikari, she saluted. "Commander, I request the ability to leave post for the remainder of the day."  
  
"Request granted." grunted Ikari. "Major, be sure to solve whatever is wrong with Pilot Ikari."  
  
"Yes Commander." said Misato as she saluted once again before exiting the center. 'Shinji, you had better have a good reason for your sync being down so low!'  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's note: Well, I hope you liked it. I'm trying to get how the officials at NERV would talk during a sync test down. I hope I did better than last time! ^_^; Stay tuned for the next part of "Until the Day I Die"! Ja ne! ~*~ Nagi 


	8. Confessions

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
Author's note: Okay, explaining the whole "Shinji almost kissing Asuka" thing. He did it subconsciously. He didn't know he was doing it, because his subconscious took over for a moment. -shrugs- That are really the best way I can explain it... Well, here's chapter eight of "Until the Day I Die"  
  
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Title: Until the Day I Die Chapter title: Confessions By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Misato! What did you want to talk to me about?" asked Shinji as he ran up to Misato who was leaning against a wall waiting.  
  
"Let's...let's leave NERV first okay?" she suggested with a small smile. Shinji looked at her confused before nodding in agreement.  
  
"Where's Asuka Misato? Aren't we all going home together?"  
  
"No, I gave her permission to stay at Hikari's for a while today." said Misato in an off-handed sort of tone. Shinji nodded and followed Misato's brisk pace down the hall. Once outside in the bright light, the two waited for their eyes to adjust to the bright light before heading for the subway. However, Misato took a left and headed down a side street. Turning around, she noticed Shinji was looking between her and the subway entrance.  
  
"Come on, we're going this way. I need to stop somewhere before we go home."  
  
"Uhh...okay." said Shinji as he turned left and ran to catch up to Misato. "Misato?"  
  
"Yeah? What is it Shinji?"  
  
"Is...what you wanted to talk to me about my sync test?" inquired Shinji, a look of concern flashing across his face.  
  
"Actually...yes, it is." said Misato in a hallow voice.  
  
"Is...there something wrong with it?"  
  
"Shinji, let's get some ice cream and sit down before we talk about it." said Misato as she walked up to the same ice cream shop that they went to the night Shinji had first heard Asuka sing. After ordering their ice cream, they went across the street and sat down on a bench.  
  
"Misato... What is wrong with me?" asked Shinji quietly as he looked at his feet.  
  
"What...what do you mean?"  
  
"I...I know that my sync is lower today if that's what you wanted to talk to me about. I heard Maya and Ritsuko talking about it when I came out of the locker room."  
  
"You...you did?" asked Misato, astonished that Ritsuko would talk about the results of the sync tests in front of the locker room.  
  
"Yeah, I did. But...there's something else..." mumbled Shinji.  
  
"What is it? Shinji, you can always talk to me about your problems." said Misato as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Shinji looked up from his melting ice cream and smiled slightly.  
  
"Thanks Misato..."  
  
"Now, did you want to talk to me about what else is wrong? Maybe we can figure something out."  
  
"Yeah...maybe we can."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Hello? Can I help you?" asked a female voice from the intercom on the wall next to the door.  
  
"Umm...is Hikari home?" asked Asuka as she pushed the button and spoke into the speaker.  
  
"Yes, I'll go get her. Hold on a moment." said the voice.  
  
"Thank you." mumbled Asuka as she let go of the button. Sighing heavily, she hung her head. Something was up with Shinji, she knew it, and she hated seeing him like that. The door opened, and Hikari smiled.  
  
"Hey Asuka! Come in!" she said happily as she grabbed Asuka's arm and pulled her inside. "I'm so glad you came over! I was getting worried about you. You know, since...Shikaku moved here and all."  
  
"Oh, her... Don't worry about it! I'm fine, Hikari. I am a Pilot after all!" said Asuka as she thwaped herself on the chest.  
  
"Well anyway, I just made some steamed rice. Would you like some?"  
  
"Sure! I'm starving!" said Asuka happily as she followed Hikari into the kitchen.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"You...you what?" asked Misato, unable to completely comprehend what Shinji had just said.  
  
"I like Asuka...but...I don't know if I can tell her... And I don't want her to hate me either." said Shinji quietly, finally disposing of his ice cream cone covered in the sticky substance that was once frozen.  
  
"I don't think she'll hate you Shinji. Just tell her...I'm sure she'll understand." said Misato smiling slightly. 'But I still don't want to be around when he tells her...'  
  
"Do you think I should? And...and when should I tell her exactly?"  
  
"Just tell her when you think the time is right. There's nothing more you can do about it. You're a teenager. Teenagers start to feel like this about other people. It's just the way of nature I suppose..."  
  
"Alright, thank you Misato." said Shinji as he stood up. "Are we heading home now?"  
  
"Yeah...wait! I completely forgot about this until now. I told Kensuke and Touji I would have you go over to Kensuke's house after the tests. Go ahead and go over there; I'll meet you and Asuka when you get home."  
  
"Really? Thanks Misato." said Shinji as he nodded, smiled and ran off towards the subway to get to Kensuke's house.  
  
"Well, this is worse than I thought it would be... Both like each other, but won't admit it... What a predicament we're in..." muttered Misato as she stood up stretched and headed for the subway herself. "Maybe I should call Ritsuko..."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's note: Sorry for the short chapter, but I was rushing in order to post it today. 0.0 I may not be able to post the next chapter for a few weeks or so... V_V Ah well... Sorry everyone! Until next time, matte ne! ~ Nagi 


	9. Plushies and Conflicts

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
Secondary disclaimer: I do not own ANY characters from Inu Yasha! I'm merely using them in this story (for what, you'll just have to see). They belong to -pulls out manga- Rumiko Takahashi, the most awesomest manga/anime artist EVER! :D She owns all rights to Inu Yasha and Co. Isn't it sad? -sniff-  
  
Author's note: Well, I have a snow day today (YAY! :D) so I thought I would work on this considering I've been watching WAY too much anime lately. XD So far I've seen "Princess Mononoke", the series "Iria", episodes 13-24 of "The Adventures of Mini-Goddess -- The Belldandy Files" and "Orange Road -- Summer's Beginning". All which are very good. Iria and Princess Mononoke (for those who have not seen it) are very bloody and gory and Orange Road has slight hentai near the end. Although I highly recommend you all to watch them, don't watch them unless you are 13 or older! Alright, enough of my ramblings! ;D Here's chapter nine of "Until the Day I Die!"  
  
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Title: Until the Day I Die  
  
Chapter title: Plushies and Conflicts  
  
By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So what's up with you Asuka?" asked Hikari over her bowl of rice. Asuka looked up at her friend and smiled.  
  
"Nothing's wrong Hikari. I'm just tired. I didn't get too much sleep last night is all. Plus with the tests today and all..." she said as she took a bite of rice.  
  
"Ah, I see. Come on! Hurry up and eat and we can go to the mall. Get your mind off this whole Shinji thing." said Hikari. Asuka began to choke on her rice and stared at her companion. Her cheeks flushed and she swallowed thickly.  
  
"What -- How... How did you know about the 'Shinji thing' as you call it?" she demanded.  
  
"I have my ways Asuka. I have my ways..." said Hikari with a sly smile. Asuka stared at her friend for a few moments before sighing.  
  
'Figures Hikari would find out...' she thought as she quickly finished her rice under the watchful eyes of Hikari.  
  
-- Kensuke's House --  
  
"Shinji! You made it!" yelled Kensuke as he opened the door to allow Shinji entrance. "It's about time. I was getting worried."  
  
"Sorry... I got a little tied up after the tests today." mumbled Shinji as he smiled warily and took his sneakers off.  
  
"It's alright. Touji's still here. Slightly pissed off with you for being late, but here non the less." said Kensuke with an evil smile. Shinji gulped and followed Kensuke into the living room where Touji was glaring at the television.  
  
"You moron! The answer is "dumplings" not "pizza"!" he roared as the contestant on the game show gave the wrong answer. Shinji chuckled and scratched his head. Touji was addicted to game shows and Shinji was highly considering signing him up for GSJA; Game Show Junkies Anonymous.  
  
"Hey, game show junkie! If you can bear to tear your eyes away from the screen, look who's here!" yelled Kensuke over Touji's yells and curses. Touji stopped yelling, looked at Shinji and blinked. Shinji looked back and blinked as well. He knew Touji was going to tackle him, so he decided to slowly back away from his friend.  
  
"SHINJI!" yelled Touji happily as he tackled his friend. Shinji's head slammed into the nearby wall and the two boys fell to the floor. "You finally made it! Just where were you?" he demanded.  
  
"I...I can't...breathe!" gasped Shinji from under Touji's weight, his face pressed into the plush carpet. Touji got off his friend and waited for Shinji to catch his breath. "Why did you do that?"  
  
"I dunno... I always do that though. How is it new to you?"  
  
"YOU SLAMMED MY HEAD INTO A WALL!" yelled Shinji, wincing at the pain in his head.  
  
"I DIDN'T MEAN IT!" roared Touji back. The two started bickering and Kensuke had to step in, just as Misato had done that morning.  
  
"Alright you two. Come on. Shinji's late because he got tied up after his tests. You know how Major Katsuragi and the staff there are."  
  
"Actually, no I don't." said Touji as he crossed his arms and glowered at Kensuke.  
  
"I err... Shall we get going then?" said Kensuke uneasily.  
  
"Yeah, let's go." said Touji as he stood up.  
  
"Go where?" inquired Shinji as he stood up, a hand still on his head.  
  
"We're going to the mall. Nothing good here to do, and we gotta get Touji away from the T.V." said Kensuke as he turned the television off and headed for the front doors. Shinji followed and put his shoes on.  
  
"We're not going to be..."  
  
"OH GOD NO!" yelled Touji. "Why the hell would GUYS go shopping?! Especially me?"  
  
"I err...never mind." said Shinji quietly as he tied his shoe-laces. "I'm sorry Touji."  
  
"It's alright. I figured you would ask since we never really go anywhere except to your house, or to play basketball...or something similar to sports anyway..." he said as he trailed off due to the look Kensuke and Shinji were giving him. "Alright, I'll shut up, just quit staring at me like I'm some kind of moron."  
  
"Oh, but you are." said Kensuke as he clapped a hand on Touji's shoulder, grinned and ran from the premises while Touji chased after him cursing. Shinji laughed and followed his friends.  
  
-- Tokyo-3 Mall --  
  
"Wow! This is SO cute! I have to have it!" squealed Hikari as she picked up a plushie of Miroku from the anime Inu Yasha. Asuka laughed quietly to herself and looked at the rows of plushies they had in the store. She was mostly interested in violent mangas, but they had none of her favorites in stock so plushies were the next best thing besides video games.  
  
"I guess he is... But he's a pervert. He continues to ask women to bear his child for him..." muttered Asuka as she looked at the Miroku plushie Hikari was holding.  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"I've read a few of the mangas alright?" said Asuka as she shrugged. Something caught her eye and she found herself looking at an Inu Yasha plushie. "Oh my God! I have to have this!"  
  
"Geez Asuka, I never thought I'd hear you say something like that over a plushie. Let alone over an anime character." teased Hikari.  
  
"Yeah, but this is his DEMON form!" protested Asuka as she held it out. Hikari shuddered as she saw Inu Yasha's blood red eyes and demon marks.  
  
"Alright...but what about this one?" she suggested as she pulled out another Inu Yasha plushie in his normal form. Asuka took it from her friend and looked between his two forms. She gingerly placed the demon form back on his perch above the Kagome and Kikyo plushies and smiled.  
  
"I want this one."  
  
"I knew you would. Come on. Let's go buy these and get out of here before you buy more than you can afford." joked Hikari.  
  
"Oh shut up." said Asuka as they walked up to the registered and placed the plushies on the counter. The cashier rang them up, and took their money. The two girls took their purchases and exited the store. Talking animatedly, they didn't notice Shinji, Kensuke and Touji walking up. Touji bumped into Hikari as they passed each other and Asuka turned around.  
  
"Hey! Watch where you're walking you dumbass!" she yelled.  
  
"Oh yeah? Who are you calling a dumbass missy?" said Touji as he turned around. Upon noticing who it was he was retorting back to, he gulped.  
  
"Just WHO are you calling 'missy'?" spat Asuka as she stalked up to him and smacked him.  
  
"Just drop it Asuka, please?" pleaded Shinji quietly. Asuka looked up and blushed. She hadn't even noticed he was standing right there!  
  
"I...alright. Fine. Whatever." she said as she turned and tried to conceal her plushie she had clutched in the crook of her elbow.  
  
"Oh? What's that you got there?" teased Touji as he took the Inu Yasha plushie out of Asuka's arms.  
  
"Hey! Give it back Touji!"  
  
"What's this? An Inu Yasha plushie? And not in demon form? I'm surprised at you Asuka. It seems to me that you are growing soft." he taunted. Asuka's face flushed and she tried to control her anger.  
  
"I am not. Hikari made me get it."  
  
"Sure she did. Alright Asuka. Seems you really are just a little girl at heart." said Touji tossing the plushie back at Asuka. She caught it and she glared at him. Looking at Shinji, she hung her head.  
  
'It's all over...he knows that I really am just a little girl on the inside... NO! I will not let some jackass ruin my reputation!' she thought as she punched Touji in the stomach. Touji gasped and fell to his knees, clutching his stomach in pain. "Feh, now who's the weak one?" she said before turning on her heel and walking off.  
  
"Asuka, wait!" called Shinji. Looking at Touji, he quickly apologized and ran off after Asuka.  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's note: Yay! It's longer now! :D Didn't take me too long either. Read through my other chapters, listened to Inu Yasha mp3's and VIOLA! I finished! And sorry to those of you who don't like seeing Asuka out of character. However, I DID bring her back in character towards the end did I not? Lol. Well, until next time! Matte ne! ~ Nagi  
  
Feedback and ideas are always welcome at: yanagimayo@yahoo.com 


	10. Realitycheck

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
Author's note: Hmm... ACK! I have nothing to say! 0.0 Hey, I just said something! How 'bout that?  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Title: Until the Day I Die  
  
Chapter title: Reality-Check  
  
By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Asuka wait up!" gasped Shinji as he bent over to catch his breath. He had run after Asuka throughout the mall and he knew that this was more exercise he had received in a long time.  
  
"Why should I?!" yelled Asuka as she turned around to face him. Fury was etched in her face and angry tears stung the corners of her eyes.  
  
"So I can talk to you." said Shinji quietly as he stood up. Asuka's heart faintly began to beat faster, but only for a moment. Shinji walked over to her and took her hand. "Come on. Let's go sit down and talk okay?"  
  
"Oh alright." muttered Asuka as she lowered her gaze to hide the fact she was blushing. They wandered over to a small table with two chairs next to a cafe and sat down.  
  
"So, why are you so upset with Touji?"  
  
"Because he had no right to get into my business! It's my life and I can do whatever the hell I want Shinji!" yelled Asuka.  
  
"But it's just a plushie. Why get so worked up about it?" asked Shinji getting more confused by the second. He understood that she had bought a plushie and Touji was teasing her about it, but the reason she had punched Touji was the main reason he was confused.  
  
"I... It's nothing. Forget it." said Asuka as she went to stand up. Shinji grabbed her wrist and she finally looked up at him.  
  
"Asuka, please. Can't we just talk about this? Maybe we can figure something out." he said with a hint of urgency in his voice. Asuka nodded slightly and sat back down, gazing at her hands.  
  
"I...I didn't want you to know that I bought this... Hikari never made me buy it." she admitted quietly.  
  
"Okay, but why did you get so upset about it?"  
  
"Because I didn't want Touji to go around school and telling everyone that I'm a wimp."  
  
"No one can say that you are a wimp Asuka. Nor me or Ayanami."  
  
"Why are you bringing Wondergirl in this conversation?!" screeched Asuka attracting a few glances from people walking past them.  
  
"Because Asuka. We are all EVA pilots, which means we are braver than anyone in our school. No one will ever call you a wimp Asuka." said Shinji gently with a small smile.  
  
"Thanks Shinji. I guess you're right. I mean, I'm the best Pilot which means that no one can say I'm a wimp. I'd like to see them fight off Angel's in an EVA. Yours or Wondergirl's of course. No one but me will ever pilot my EVA as long as I'm around." said Asuka with a jokeful warning glance in Shinji's direction.  
  
"Of course Asuka. Why would I want to pilot Unit 02? I have a bond with my own EVA as does Ayanami with hers. And I'm sure you have a bond with yours as well Asuka."  
  
"Yeah, I suppose I do. It could just be pride or something else... Who knows right? Well anyway, thanks Shinji. I'll see you at home okay?" she said with a smile as she stood up.  
  
"Okay, see you then. Uhh...are you going to be cooking, or is Misato?" he asked uneasily.  
  
"I'll get take-out. I don't trust Misato around the kitchen, you know that. I'll see you at home." she said as she winked and turned to exit the mall. "Oh, by the way. Can you do me a favor?" she asked as she turned back around to look at Shinji.  
  
"Sure, what is it?"  
  
"Tell Hikari where I went for me?"  
  
"Okay, no problem. I'm sure she'll understand. And I'll tell Touji off for you as well." he added with a smirk.  
  
"Thank you Shinji." said Asuka as she quickly kissed him on the cheek. Shinji quickly gave her a tight hug and released her.  
  
"See you when I get home Asuka." he said gently. Asuka nodded and smiled before walking out of the exit towards their apartment. Sighing, he turned around to head back to where his friends were at and stopped at what he saw.  
  
"Shinji, how could you?!" screamed Shikaku before running past him, her face buried in her hands.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
While on her way home, Asuka was smiling slightly to herself. Pulling her newly purchased plushie out, she giggled suddenly. Her giggle evolved into a full out laugh which (once again) attracted a few stares from others on the street. Once her laughter subsided, she found herself already in front of the apartment building.  
  
"Hmm... What was I supposed to do again? Oh yeah! Get take-out! But I have to get some money from Misato first..." she said glumly as she slowly walked in the door to the apartment building. Sliding the door to the apartment, she walked inside to find it deserted.  
  
"Hello? Misato, I'm home!" she called as she took her shoes off and walked into the living room cautiously. She noticed that the remote hadn't moved from where she put it the previous night, nor did any of the chairs. Heading into the kitchen, she found a small piece of paper on the table with some money on top. Picking it up, she quickly read it.  
  
"'Asuka and Shinji --  
  
I'm sorry I won't be home this evening. I just got called into work for the night shift. Here's some money for take-out. Behave yourselves and I'll see you tomorrow morning!  
  
-- Misato'"  
  
Asuka sighed and gathered the money. "Well, at least I didn't have to ask her personally for the money..." Walking to the front door, she slipped her shoes back on and walked out of the door.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Shinji, what's the matter?" asked Touji as Shinji walked back up.  
  
"I just saw Shikaku." he muttered as he placed a hand over his left cheek.  
  
"What's wrong with your cheek Shinji?" asked Hikari as she attempted to pull his hand away from it.  
  
"It...it's nothing. I'm fine. Really Hikari! I'm fine!" protested Shinji until Hikari finally pulled his hand away from his face. His cheek was bright red and swelling slightly.  
  
"Oh my God... What the hell happened?!" yelled Kensuke. Shinji looked at his friends and dropped his gaze.  
  
"I suppose I should tell you..." he sighed.  
  
~*~ Flashback (A/N: Always wanted to do this!) ~*~  
  
"Shikaku! Wait up!" yelled Shinji franticly as he chased after Shikaku. People parted for them to pass easily, but that didn't exactly help Shinji any. "Shikaku please!"  
  
"Shinji Ikari! I can't believe you! How dare you!" screamed Shikaku as she turned around to face him. Shinji felt slight deja vu, mainly due to the fact that the same thing had just happened with Asuka ten minutes earlier.  
  
"How dare I what? What did I do?"  
  
"You know what you did!" she yelled.  
  
"No, I don't. Please tell me." he said quietly as he advanced on her. Shikaku looked in his eyes and instantly felt her resolve shattering.  
  
"You...you were kissing Asuka!" yelled Shikaku, tears streaming down her face.  
  
"No, I didn't. I only hugged her, nothing more." he said calmly, even for him under the circumstances.  
  
"Oh? Then why did you hug her?! I thought you liked me!"  
  
"I do, but as a friend. I like Asuka a bit more because I've known her longer, but we're just friends. We even LIVE together, but that changes nothing."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I like you both as friends, but I'm still somewhat confused by whether I like either of you in 'that' way." he said, putting it as gently as he could. Shikaku didn't say anything, but hung her head. "Shikaku?"  
  
"YOU JERK!" she screamed as she smacked him and ran off.  
  
~*~ End Flashback ~*~  
  
Touji, Kensuke and Hikari all stared at Shinji once he had finished telling them what had happened. Hikari was holding her cheek as if she had gotten smacked like Shinji had, Touji was staring in disbelief, and Kensuke's mouth was hanging open slightly.  
  
"And...you were THAT calm the whole time?" stammered Touji finally.  
  
"Well, I guess I must have seemed that I was calm. But really I was scared beyond belief..." Shinji admitted.  
  
"I suppose that Shikaku must really like you Shinji." said Hikari slowly.  
  
"Well no shit Sherlock!" yelled Touji, getting a smack in response from Hikari.  
  
"I know she does. But I'm just so confused right now is all... I need some time to think about it." said Shinji as he sat down on a nearby bench.  
  
"That's good. Take some time to get a game plan and then act." said Kensuke pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "It's just like at NERV. You need a strategy in order to beat the Angel's don't you?"  
  
"Dude, stop talking about NERV and the Evangelion units and the Angels for ONCE in your life!" yelled Touji.  
  
"Hey, where's Asuka?" asked Hikari suddenly.  
  
"Oh, she asked me to tell you that she headed home." said Shinji, almost forgetting to do so.  
  
"Well in that case, you should be getting home as well!" said Kensuke and Touji pulling their reluctant friend up to his feet. "Get home and try not to do anything stupid!"  
  
"Gee...I'm so RELIEVED by your support..." muttered Shinji sarcastically as he waved good-bye and headed home.  
  
"That Shikaku girl has GOT to get a reality-check! She can't go around taking men that belong to other women as she pleases!" fumed Hikari as she crossed her arms.  
  
"Wha -- what do you mean?" asked Touji.  
  
"Oh, nothing! Heh heh.... Nothing at all Touji! Come on! I'm hungry, let's go get some food!" she said as she awkwardly grabbed his hand and led him towards the food court.  
  
"But we just ate with Shinji!" said Kensuke. Hikari turned around to face him.  
  
"I said we are going to get something to eat. You wouldn't want me to report you to the teacher on Monday would you?" she asked menacingly. Kensuke shook his head 'no' and quickly followed Hikari and the blushing Touji.  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's note: Well then... I hope that I got everyone's personalities at least partly correct! . If I didn't, I'm very sorry! I've been really freaked out lately for things I'm not going to go into detail about and I haven't felt very well lately either. I hope you like it so far! Until next time, matte ne! ~ Nagi 


	11. Asuka's Acting Debut

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
Author's note: Sorry for making you wait, but family issues have occurred. Mostly the fact that my parents have threatened to never let me get a driver's license until I go to college and/or move out if I continue to call my friends who live an hour away... -sighs- Oh well, not much I can really do about it...except not call them. Well anyway, don't feel sorry for me, just review if you like this chapter! Here's chapter eleven of "Until the Day I Die"!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Title: Until the Day I Die  
  
Chapter title: Asuka's Acting Debut  
  
By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Hello there, little miss. What can I get for you tonight?" asked the elderly man at the counter as Asuka walked inside, the money Misato had left them clutched in her hand. Her eyebrow twitched at the 'little miss' comment, but she let it go. She couldn't pick a fight with an elderly man. It would go against everything her mother had taught her, and besides, he hadn't done anything wrong in particular.  
  
"Hello. I'd like a pint of pork fried rice, a container of wonton soup and four shrimp egg rolls please." she said as courteously as she could. The elderly man smiled and went into the kitchen to fetch her food. Asuka sat down and waited for him to return with her purchase.  
  
"Miss, you're food is ready." he called across the room. Asuka stood up quickly and walked over to the counter, laying her money out on the counter. As the man counted up her money, a small frown spread across his face. "Oh, you're a little short on the total miss. But it's alright. You can just pay me back whenever you get the money." he said as he noticed the look of panic on Asuka's face.  
  
"Thank you very much sir. I promise to pay you back as soon as I can!" she said as she bowed and gathered the food. "Bye now!"  
  
"Bye-bye miss! Take care and have a wonderful evening!" he called as he waved good-bye to Asuka's fading figure as she walked across the street and into the fading sunlight. "She sure is a sweet girl. I don't mind if she doesn't pay me back." He smiled to himself and returned to the other customers that were in line waiting to place their orders.  
  
"God! I can't believe I acted like that in there... Normally I wouldn't have been so nice. I wonder if liking Shinji has anything to do with it..." mused Asuka as she walked towards home.  
  
-- Katsuragi Residence --  
  
"Hello? Anyone home yet?" called Asuka as she awkwardly slipped her shoes off and carried the food into the kitchen. Setting it down on the table, she distantly heard the bath running. Noticing that Shinji's shoes were next to the front door, she sighed with relief. "It's only Shinji. Nothing to worry about."  
  
While she waited for Shinji to emerge from within the bathroom, Asuka kept herself preoccupied by gathering two plates, chopsticks and two sodas. Placing them on the table along with the food, she heard the bathroom door slide open. Walking towards the bathroom to tell Shinji that dinner was on the table, she stopped dead in her tracks.  
  
"Shinji...what happened to your face?!" she demanded as she ran over to him. Pulling his hand away, she quickly inspected his swollen cheek.  
  
"It...It's nothing Asuka. Really. I'm fine." said Shinji as he awkwardly pulled his face away from her hands. "Where's Misato?" It was the only thing he could think of to say at the moment, and he knew he sounded stupid.  
  
"She got called into work for the night shift. She left money for take-out." said Asuka as she turned away and headed into the kitchen. She still couldn't truly understand why, but she was genuinely concerned about him.  
  
"What do you want Asuka?" asked Shinji as he picked up the phone and began dialing the number for the take-out restaurant.  
  
"Shinji, I already got it. I...I hope you like what I got." said Asuka as she blushed slightly and sat down at the table. Shinji blinked and hung up the phone before joining his fellow Pilot at the table.  
  
"I'm sure I will Asuka. Don't worry too much. It's only food you know." he said as he opened the box of shrimp fried rice. "My favorite! How did you know?" he joked.  
  
"I...I didn't! It just sounded good is all..." stuttered Asuka as she blushed furiously. Shinji started laughing, the box of fried rice in one hand, and his chopsticks in the other.  
  
"Don't worry Asuka! I was joking. This is my favorite, but just calm down." he said as he filled half his plate with the rice. Setting the rice down his hand brushed against Asuka's as they both reached for the same egg roll. Jerking his hand back quickly, he blushed a deep shade of red. "I - I'm sorry Asuka!"  
  
"Stop apologizing Shinji. It's alright." said Asuka as she put the egg roll on her plate and looked up at him. "Come on; let's eat before it gets cold." She smiled as she took the box of rice and filled her plate. "Should we leave some for Misato?"  
  
"Yeah, she'd probably kill us if we didn't." laughed Shinji. Peering over the table, he watched as Asuka struggled to close the box. Finally succeeding in the task, she picked up her chopsticks and began eating.  
  
"Hey, Shinji?"  
  
"Hmm?" asked Shinji as he looked up from his plate.  
  
"What really happened to your cheek?" Shinji sighed and began telling her the tale of his encounter with Shikaku. When he mentioned how Shikaku had accused him of doing something wrong, he noticed Asuka swell up with fury and indignity.  
  
"And she stormed off and that's when I went to go look for Touji and everyone else." finished Shinji lamely. Asuka remained quiet for several minutes before setting her chopsticks down on the edge of her plate. Shinji looked up, unsure of what else to say.  
  
"The nerve of her! I can't believe she would accuse you of doing something wrong!" said Asuka, a small vein in her temple twitching slightly. Shinji gulped and set down his chopsticks as well.  
  
"It's alright Asuka, really. I'm sure it will all blow over sooner or later." he said quietly as he stared at his uneaten food.  
  
"No it's not alright Shinji!" said Asuka as she stood up. "I'm going to go have a little chat with Shikaku. I'll be home soon Shinji." she said as she dashed to gather her coat and shoes.  
  
"Uh...Asuka? Wouldn't you need her address?" inquired Shinji quietly.  
  
"No, I already hacked into her school records. Don't ask when or how, I just did." said Asuka as she pulled out some papers from her coat pocket and unfolded them. "Seems that our little friend here has been in quite some trouble at her old school. Well, I'll be back by ten at the latest."  
  
"Asuka wait!" called Shinji as he ran after her, but it was too late. He watched her run towards the elevator and enter it, the door sliding shut. Sighing he slid the door shut and returned to the kitchen table. "Asuka, why are you doing this? You've become so reckless lately... Is...Is it because of Shikaku?"  
  
-- Yagahashii Residence --  
  
Asuka walked up the stairs, looking at the house numbers then the papers still clutched tightly in her hand. Confirming that it was indeed the correct address, she tucked the papers away and knocked on the door. She only waited for a minute before the door opened.  
  
"A - Asuka, what are you doing here?" asked a stunned Shikaku as she opened the door.  
  
"Hello Shikaku!" said Asuka in as close to a cheerful voice as she could manage at the moment. "I was wondering if we could have a little talk."  
  
"At this hour of the night? It's nearly eight Asuka. Can't it wait until tomorrow?"  
  
"No, it can't. Please Shikaku? It...It's about Shinji." said Asuka, turning her head away to act as if something horrible had happened to him.  
  
"W - what happened to Shinji? You didn't do anything --"  
  
"No! Why would I do anything to him?! He's...he's..." replied Asuka before burying her face in her hands. Her body shook and she sobbed uncontrollably, yet there was no trace of a tear.  
  
"Oh, Asuka... I'll get my coat and we can talk about it okay?" said Shikaku. As she returned in her house to gather her things, Asuka peeked between her fingers. A pure evil smirk formed on her lips and she chuckled to herself.  
  
'This is going to be too damn easy.' she thought as she returned to her fake sobbing as Shikaku closed the door and the two sat down on the small bench located on the porch.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's note: Well, seems to me that Asuka could become a professional actress if I do say so myself! :D I hope you've liked it so far and I hope to be able to update again soon! Also, I've become addicted to Final Fantasy IX and X, so expect to see a little bit of that in the upcoming chapters as well! Until next time, matte ne! ~ Nagi 


	12. Just a Little HearttoHeart

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
Secondary disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X or IX, nor any of the other games. They all belong to Squaresoft (or Square Enix as they are now called), the best game creators ever!  
  
Author's note: Just so that you all know, it may be quite some time until I get to update again. I'm very sorry to say this, but I will update whenever I get the chance to. Sorry everyone! Well, here's chapter twelve of "Until the Day I Die"!  
  
WARNING: Slight fluff near the end of chapter! (Sorry, had to put it... ;D)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Title: Until the Day I Die  
  
Chapter title: Just a Little Heart-to-Heart and Video Games  
  
By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Asuka, what's wrong with Shinji?" asked Shikaku as the two girls sat down. Asuka turned her head slightly in order to see Shikaku through her fingers, but kept her hands firmly over her face in order to conceal her lack of tears.  
  
"Oh, it's horrible Shikaku! He came home all beaten up, with cuts and bruises. He won't tell me anything except...what happened..."  
  
"What happened? Come on Asuka, you can tell me."  
  
"He...he got mugged! He was cutting through an alley in order to get home by curfew and - and he got mugged by three evil men! They took all his money, and beat him up! He won't even talk to me. He just locked himself in the bathroom." sobbed Asuka. 'I've never lied this much in my entire life. Oh God, please forgive me...'  
  
"Really? That's horrible! But I'm sure that he'll tell you eventually Asuka." said Shikaku as she enclosed Asuka in a gentle embrace and patted her back. Asuka's fury flared, but subsided quickly as she remembered the act she was supposed to be putting on and resumed her sobbing.  
  
"No he won't! He's so distraught Shikaku! And Misato's not home because she got called into work and I don't know what to do!"  
  
"Well, do you want me to help you figure out what to do about this?" asked Shikaku calmly.  
  
'She's too damn calm for this to be real. She must be hiding something...' thought Asuka as she pulled away and pretended to brush away her tears with her coat sleeve. Her face was flushed, not from crying, but from the fury she was holding back. "N - no, it's okay. I - I think I should be heading back now. See if Shinji needs anything you know..."  
  
"No, Asuka wait." said Shikaku as she grabbed Asuka's wrist, forcing her to stay seated. "Did Shinji say anything about why he went through that alley?"  
  
"Y - yes, he did. He said it was because he was afraid to be late to get home. He didn't know that Misato was called into work." hiccupped Asuka as she looked away from Shikaku.  
  
"Doesn't he have a cellular phone though?"  
  
"H - he left it at home today because of the tests today. NERV says that the Pilots aren't allowed to have technology within the premises." lied Asuka. They were allowed to have phones inside Central Dogma, but Shinji had forgotten his phone earlier that morning in his rush to get ready for the tests.  
  
"I see... Did he say anything else? Anything that was bothering him?" asked Shikaku as calmly as she could. Asuka hid a little smile as she noticed the uneasiness in Shikaku's voice.  
  
"Y - yeah, come to think of it he did. He said...he was thinking about why you would accuse him of doing something wrong at the mall today!" said Asuka, her voice rising towards the end of stating what Shinji was 'thinking' about on the way home when he was 'mugged'.  
  
"W - what do you mean?" squeaked Shikaku, releasing her grip on Asuka's wrist.  
  
"I know you were at the mall today Shikaku Yagahashii. I know that you saw me kiss Shinji on the cheek and him hug me back. I know that you got pissed off for no reason. I know that you hauled off and smacked him. I could understand that if you were dating, but are you? No, you are not!" yelled Asuka.  
  
"I don't see where this is coming from Asuka."  
  
"Don't play dumb with me you little slut!" shrieked Asuka. "I know all about your past life at your old school. I know exactly why you moved here in the first place. You didn't move here due to the Angel's attacking your home town. On the contrary, you moved to EXACTLY where the Angel's attack."  
  
"Yeah, your point? My father's job got transferred and the Angel's DID attack my town!" yelled Shikaku as she stood up, fists clenched at her sides. Asuka laughed and stood up, facing the girl.  
  
"My point? Oh, I have a point my dear friend. I do indeed have a very good point. But, I'm not going to reveal that quite yet. Good evening Shikaku Yagahashii, I shall see you at school sometime." said Asuka as she bowed and turned to leave. "And may Hell consume your soul for all I give a damn." she muttered. And with that, she walked down the stairs and up the street.  
  
"H - has she...figured out...why I really moved here?" whispered Shikaku as she stood frozen on the porch.  
  
-- Katsuragi Residence --  
  
"Shinji, I'm home!" called Asuka as she hung her coat up and took her shoes off. She distantly heard the television on and she headed towards the source of the sound.  
  
"Hi Asuka. God damnit, DIE ALREADY!" yelled Shinji as he did continuous attacks on a fiend3. Asuka giggled and watched in amusement. Shinji only played Final Fantasy X when he had a lot on his mind, or just needed to take some anger out on some imaginary fiends.  
  
"So, I see you're still fighting that Sinspawn Shinji." said Asuka quietly as she sat down on the couch behind him. Shinji merely nodded and continued attacking.  
  
"DAMNIT!" he yelled in frustration as he flung the controller to the floor just a few moments later. Asuka laughed and picked up the controller. Re-loading his game, Asuka went to the battle Shinji was just at.  
  
"Shinji, this boss is so easy. You just have to summon Ifrit and possibly Velor if the other Aeon dies and continue to use Lulu's magic." she said as she summoned Ifrit. (A/N: My all time fave so far! Besides Sheeva o' course...) "Also, you want to kill off those arms first because they protect the body. And when the head starts swaying, you use Wakka to attack it so that it won't destroy everyone."  
  
"How do you know all this?" asked Shinji in disbelief.  
  
"I've beaten it a few times. Very easy game, X and IX both are the easiest out of the whole series of Final Fantasy games. I need to get X-2 now, see if I can beat that. There, he's dead now. Save your game because I'm not doing that again for you." she said as she handed the controller back to Shinji.  
  
"I uh... Thank you Asuka."  
  
"It's not a problem really. I'm kind of tired, so I think I'll just go to bed now."  
  
"Okay... Wait! You have to tell me, what did you talk to Shikaku about?"  
  
"Nothing too important. Make sure you save your game and get to bed. We have school tomorrow and I don't want you sleeping in again." said Asuka as she smiled.  
  
"Alright mom." joked Shinji. Asuka blushed and headed towards her room before being forced to stop. Shinji had wrapped his arms around her waist, his face buried in her bright red hair. "Asuka I... I really like you."  
  
"Shinji...I... Let go of me!" yelled Asuka as she wriggled out of his grasp, blushing furiously. Shinji merely blinked and hung his head.  
  
"I'm sorry Asuka..." he whispered. Asuka then realized it was now or never and she hugged him tightly. "Asuka? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"  
  
"Shinji, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I'm just trying to protect you because...because I really like you too." sobbed Asuka into his shirt. Shinji was speechless and immobile for a few moments before finally regaining the ability to move his arms.  
  
"Protect me from what Asuka?" he inquired softly as he hugged her back. Asuka shook her head and pulled away from him.  
  
"From...something that I knew was bad from the beginning. I'm just sorry for not stopping it sooner."  
  
"Hey... It's okay Asuka, I'm sure I can handle whatever it is...as long as you'll help me along the way." he said as he cradled her cheek in his hand and smiled warmly. Asuka nodded and kissed his cheek.  
  
"I have to get some sleep Shinji. You should too. I'll see you in the morning." she said quietly as she retreated into her room. Shinji sighed happily and flopped back on the couch, grabbing the controller and saving his game. Once making sure it was saved, he shut off the game system and television, wrote Misato a note saying there was food in the refrigerator and heading off for bed. And he knew that, for the first time in a month, he would sleep soundly.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's note: I decided there should be some more fluff in here. Did you like? I'm sorry for the cliffhanger about Shikaku and Asuka's argument, but I thought it would be a good thing to have for the next chapter. I really hoped you liked it, and the fact I put Final Fantasy in there. I'm aware that I made Asuka seem like the game master, but she does destroy real monsters for a living, so pretend ones should be nothing to her. Well, review if you liked it! Until next time, matte ne! ~ Nagi 


	13. Suspision

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
Author's note: Well, I'm bored; my mom's being a real bitch right now, so why not write? Need to get rid of some of this stress that's been building up lately. Brothers getting into everything, sisters "playing" with the new hamster (okay, they really aren't too bad...but still...), mom and dad fighting, blaming me for losing the REMOTE! The REMOTE of all things! I could understand my dad's power tools, or my mom's Sims files, but a REMOTE?! God...what's this world coming to? Well, enough of my complaining! Here's chapter thirteen of "Until the Day I Die"!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Title: Until the Day I Die  
  
Chapter title: Suspicion  
  
By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The next morning, Asuka roughly shook Shinji as he lay in his bed, still asleep. Both Pilots had slept soundly after getting what they had been thinking for quite some time off their shoulders and into the air. Sighing, Asuka smacked him on the back of the head. Shinji groaned and sat up, rubbing his head. As his vision adjusted to the bright morning light that streamed through his open window, the image of Asuka smiling at him in a strange way and crouching beneath his bed became clearer.  
  
"Guten morgen Shinji! Come on, we have school today!" said Asuka, the small smile still on her face. Shinji stared in awe as she straightened up and looked out the window. Asuka noticed him looking at her out of the corner of her eye and turned to face him, placing her hands on her hips. "What? Why are you staring at me?"  
  
"Oh, it...it's nothing Asuka. Don't worry about it." said Shinji quickly as he adverted his gaze.  
  
"Ah, I see. You want me to leave so you can get dressed, is that it? Like I would peek anyway!" scoffed Asuka as she walked out of the room and slid the door shut. Shinji stood up and stretched. He finally felt refreshed and able to handle anything school; NERV or the Angel's could throw his way. Getting dressed and grabbing his school bag, he slid his door back only to see Misato standing in the door way.  
  
"Good morning Shinji!" she said happily as she walked into his room without asking. Shinji turned around to watch her, his mouth agape slightly.  
  
"M - Misato... What's up? You seem...happy about something... Did you and Kaji get --?"  
  
"NO! Don't even go there Shinji! Kaji and I are not together, and we never will be. That bastard screwed everything up last time and I hate him!" yelled Misato as she crossed her arms and scowled. "And you should know that."  
  
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry Misato. But really, what's up?"  
  
"Well, I heard from a certain little red head that you two confessed how you guys feel about each other last night." she said as her scowl faded to be replaced by a large grin. "So, you two dating or what?"  
  
"N - no! It's nothing like that Misato!" spluttered Shinji, blushing.  
  
"Oh? So what IS it like then Shinji?"  
  
"We - I mean... We're just friends is all!" he said as he struggled for an answer.  
  
"Aww... Look at him blush! Poor Shinji. Well, you two had better get off to school now." giggled Misato as Shinji's face flushed. "I'll see you two after school alright?"  
  
"Err...okay! Bye Misato!" said Shinji in a rush as he bolted out of the room and towards the front door. Misato sighed happily and headed back into her room. Giggling, she flopped back onto her bed and sighed.   
  
"It's great that those two will be together eventually. At least...I hope so." she said as she looked at a picture of Shinji, Asuka and herself that stood near her bed.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Asuka! How are you?" asked Hikari as she walked up to Asuka's desk.  
  
"I'm just fine actually. Hey, is Shikaku here yet?"  
  
"Why? I thought you hated her." said Hikari, shocked that Asuka would even bother to ask where the transfer student was.  
  
"Well, let's just say I've changed my mind about her a little bit is all..." muttered Asuka as she smirked. Hikari laughed, not entirely believing her friend.  
  
"She's not here yet. She better get here soon though, class is about to start!" Across the room, Shinji was busy being bombarded with questions by Touji and Kensuke.  
  
"So? What happened? Tell us!" complained Touji.  
  
"N - nothing happened you guys! I went home, had take-out and played Final Fantasy X a little bit." said Shinji uneasily.  
  
"Yeah, okay sure. You can tell us when you're ready Shinji. No worries." said Kensuke as he clapped his friend firmly on the back. Shinji smiled weakly, unsure of what to say to that comment. At that moment, the teacher walked into the class and called the class to order.  
  
All throughout attendance, Asuka was eagerly awaiting Shikaku's name. Any sign of the girl bursting through the door gasping, claiming that she had overslept would have calmed her nerves slightly, but it never came. So, during class, all Asuka could do was dwell on why Shikaku had not come to school.  
  
'Heh, the silly girl must be afraid of me. But then again, most people are. Except Hikari, Shinji, Rei and Misato of course. And the rest of NERV anyway.' she thought as the teacher droned on and on about the effects of Second Impact for the hundredth time. Across the room, Shinji was thinking along similar thought patterns.  
  
'Why isn't Shikaku here? Did...Asuka do something to her? I suppose I'll just have to talk to her about it after school... God, why won't he just shut up about Second Impact?! I could learn anything I wanted to from Misato! That is...if she were willing to talk about it...' thought Shinji as he stared dully out the window and onto the school patio.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Hey, Asuka! Wait up!" called Shinji as he ran after his fellow Pilot. Asuka turned around and smiled. Shinji caught up to her and smiled as well.  
  
"So...Shinji. What do you say we go get some ice cream?" suggested Asuka in an off-hand sort of tone.  
  
"Sure. Why not? It's better than going home and being bothered by Misato right?"  
  
"Alright then! Let's go!" said Asuka as she headed off for town. Shinji slipped his hand in hers and smiled. Asuka blushed slightly but smiled as well. As the two headed towards town, Touji and Kensuke were watching both scowling, their arms crossed.  
  
"Something's up with them..." muttered Touji.  
  
"Oh really? What was your first clue?" retorted Kensuke sarcastically.  
  
"Hey, I don't have time to deal with your bullshit Kensuke! We both know that there's something wrong with Shinji and Asuka, and I wanna know what the hell it is!"  
  
"As do I, but we shouldn't pry into their social lives Touji. It would be unethical."  
  
"To hell it's unethical! It's merely being a concerned friend damnit! I'm going to find out what's up with them, and if you don't want to help me then fine. I'll just get Hikari to help me since she's such good friends with Asuka." said Touji hotly as he turned to go find Hikari and ask her for her help.  
  
"Hey! Wait up! I wanna find out too!" wailed Kensuke as he panicked and chased after his friend.  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's note: I don't know if this is really how Touji and Kensuke would react to seeing Shinji and Asuka walking into town together, hand in hand, but I think I did a pretty good job. Let me know what you think keh? And I'm sorry if everyone seems OOC! -Sobs hysterically- Well at any rate, review and let me know what you think! Matte ne! ~ Nagi  
  
Feed back and ideas are always welcome at: yanagimayo@yahoo.com 


	14. Now or Never

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
Author's note: Hmm... I really hope that you guys will like this chapter! There's a semi-big surprise (is it?) in this chapter and I hope you like it! And if any of the characters seem majorly OOC, I'd like to apologize for that in advance. Well, here's chapter fourteen of "Until the Day I Die"!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Title: Until the Day I Die  
  
Chapter title: Now or Never  
  
By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So...what you're saying is that you saw Shinji and Asuka holding hands?" asked Hikari, uncertain whether to completely trust Touji's frantic explanation of what had occurred mere minutes ago.  
  
"Yes! We both saw them didn't we? Kensuke? KENSUKE!"  
  
"Huh? Oh, sorry you guys. Kinda zoned out there for a second..." laughed Kensuke as he rubbed the back of his neck.  
  
"Obviously..." muttered Touji with a glare in Kensuke's direction. "Well anyway, I was wondering if you could help us figure out what is going on between them."  
  
"No Touji, I won't." said Hikari as she gathered her books and stood up.  
  
"W - why not? Hikari! You're Asuka's best friend! Don't you want to know?"  
  
"Well of course I do! But I'm not going to snoop around in her personal business. If she wants me to know, she'll tell me. And I'm sure that Shinji will do the same for you guys. Just leave them be for right now. They're probably still very confused about their feelings for each other anyway."  
  
"Thank you! Finally, someone who agrees with me!" said Kensuke happily.  
  
"SHUT UP!" yelled Touji as he punched Kensuke on the top of his head. Kensuke's hands instantly flew to where a small bump was forming on his head and glared at Touji.  
  
"What? I DID tell you to leave them alone didn't I? Hikari agrees with me, so you just got dissed by your girlfriend!"  
  
"SHUT UP!" yelled Touji as he blushed slightly and tackled Kensuke, putting him in a headlock. Hikari shook her head in disbelief as she watched as Touji yelled and strangled Kensuke. Suddenly, when Kensuke's cries subsided, she noticed his face was a light shade of blue and was near to passing out due to lack of oxygen. Dropping all but one of her books, she ran up to Touji and swung the book down on his head as hard as she could.  
  
"LET GO! HE CAN'T BREATHE YOU MORON!" she screamed as she continued to hit Touji with her book. At that moment, Rei walked past the scene that was unfolding.  
  
"I...do not understand...why people act this way..." she said to herself before continuing on her way to Central Dogma.  
  
-- Downtown Tokyo-3 --  
  
As Shinji and Asuka sat down on a bench, the same bench that Shinji had confessed how he felt about Asuka to Misato to be exact, Asuka looked up into the sky. The sky was a clear, crystal blue with a few clouds and birds in the air. It was a perfect afternoon to be sitting on a bench with the person you cared about.  
  
"A - Asuka?" whispered Shinji. Asuka turned to look at him, her happiness flickering momentarily.  
  
"What is it Shinji?" The look of uncertainness and sadness on Shinji's face was enough to break someone's heart, which Asuka's was close to doing. 'He...he doesn't like me like I thought he did. He doesn't want to be with me... Why?! Oh God, why?!'  
  
"Asuka...I really like you..." he stammered with as much seriousness in his voice as he could force through. The look of pure terror on Asuka's face made him want to break down and hold her tight, to just hold her in his arms, but he held himself back. "I mean...I like you a lot...more than anyone else..."  
  
"I - I know that Shinji... I...I really like you as well..." mumbled Asuka as she folded her hands in her lap and stared at the ground. Everything was swimming in the layer of tears that had built up in her eyes, but she wouldn't allow them to fall. The bright sunlight dimmed as a cloud passed by the sun, covering it only for a moment, but it seemed like an eternity to the two Pilots that sat side by side on a bench surrounded in shadow.  
  
"Asuka...I... Will..." spluttered Shinji. 'Damnit! Why can't I get these words to come out right? I had a whole speech prepared for her...why can't I say it? Is this...love?'  
  
"What? Will I what?" asked Asuka as she turned her head slightly to look at him. Shinji blushed and adverted his gaze. Asuka bit her lower lip, fighting back the urge to lunge forward and hug him tightly, but instead she returned to stare at the ground. Shinji glanced at her and finally resolved his courage.  
  
'This is it! It's now or never!' he thought as he turned in his seat and took Asuka's hand in his. Asuka's head quickly turned to look at him, her eyes wide with surprise at his sudden movement. "Asuka, will you...be my girlfriend?"  
  
'Oh my God... Did he...just...ask me to be his girlfriend? ...My God, he DID!' was all that Asuka could think while happiness and relief washed over her. Shinji's look of disappointment at her lack of an answer snapped her back into reality and she hugged him, the tears that she had held back streaming down her face. "Of course I will Shinji." she whispered.  
  
"R - really? Then...why are you crying? You...aren't sad are you?" he asked softly as he gently ran his fingers through her hair.  
  
"No, of course not Shinji." said Asuka as she straightened up and wiped her eyes on her jacket sleeve. "I'm crying because I'm so happy this day has finally come."  
  
"I am too Asuka. I am too..." whispered Shinji as he enclosed her in a warm hug as birds began to sing in the trees, as if congratulating the two young children.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"You WHAT?!" yelled Touji, fear and surprise etched on his face as he stared at Shinji. Kensuke was also staring, his glasses falling down his nose and his mouth agape.  
  
"I asked Asuka out..." mumbled Shinji as he fidgeted in his chair and stared at the floor as he always did when he was unnerved by something.  
  
"W - why? Have you gone insane? Maybe all those tests at NERV have done something to your brain..." said Kensuke as he felt Shinji's forehead with his hand. "Well, he doesn't have a fever..."  
  
"I told you, I'm fine! God, what's so wrong with having a girlfriend?" yelled Shinji as he pushed Kensuke's hand away.  
  
"Well, for one, it's ASUKA! And two, you guys live together and that will only lead to one thing my dear friend..." said Touji as he crossed his arms and nodded.  
  
"Lead to what?" inquired Shinji innocently. Touji and Kensuke both fell out of their chairs, twitching. "What? What did I say?"  
  
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'LEAD TO WHAT'?!" yelled Touji as he sat up.  
  
"What he means is it could lead to...well... s-e-x if you catch my drift..." whispered Kensuke. Shinji blushed several shades of red and turned away.  
  
"I highly doubt that will ever happen you guys. Come on, trust me for once!"  
  
"We trust you with our lives Shinji! You pilot EVA 01 for God's sake!"  
  
"What about Eva's 00 and 02?" asked Shinji, his eyebrow twitching. "I'm not the only EVA pilot you know..."  
  
"Yeah, we know. Don't get all huffy about it. We trust you to do the right thing Shinji. Okay?" said Kensuke as he held his hand out. Shinji smiled and shook his hand. Touji then pulled him into a tight hug.  
  
"Uhh... Touji...his face is turning blue..." said Kensuke as he pointed to Shinji's face that was being crushed between Touji's chest and arms.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's note: Okay... Didn't even know that I was going to put that in there myself. I guess I thought these chapters just needed a little more humor in it to...you know. Bring it back to reality a little? I dunno...guess I'm not thinking straight tonight. (Of course that may be due to me putting off my report for English 9...) Anyway, review and let me know what you guys thought of this chapter! Matte ne! ~ Nagi  
  
Feedback and ideas are always welcome at: yanagimayo@yahoo.com 


	15. A New Probability

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
Author's note: Phew, so many chapters! Well...okay, technically fifteen... Anyway! I have so many reviews! I'm so glad that you all like this story enough to keep up with me and my groundings... (Which are about over! Yay!) So here's chapter fifteen of "Until the Day I Die"!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Title: Until the Day I Die  
  
Chapter title: A New Probability  
  
By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
For the next few days, Shikaku never showed up for school. The pile of homework on her desk was growing steadily larger before the teacher finally asked someone to take it to her house so that she could catch up with the class. Kensuke volunteered claiming he had nothing else to do, but Shinji and Touji both knew better than to believe that. Asuka wasn't too concerned if Shikaku failed or not, but she was steadily thinking more and more about why she wasn't at school. After school, Shinji was waiting for Asuka outside the classroom door like always.  
  
"So, where do you want to go today?" he asked as he kissed her cheek and slipped his hand into hers. Asuka smiled and kissed his cheek in return.  
  
"Don't we have to go to NERV for some tests today?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh yeah, that's right! I completely forgot! With Misato badgering us with questions and everything else, I completely forgot." laughed Shinji.  
  
"She just told us this morning! How could you forget?"  
  
"Too much on my mind is all." said Shinji as he began walking down the corridor.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" asked Asuka, a hint of rage in her voice.  
  
"I couldn't stop thinking about you is all Asuka. Don't worry, I won't leave you for anything as long as you won't leave me for Kaji." said Shinji. Asuka noticed that he was joking about the Kaji comment, so she let him go without being hit.  
  
"I promise. Come on! We have to get to NERV or your father is going to kill us! And not to mention Misato and Ritsuko as well..." said Asuka as she released his hand and began running ahead of him. Shinji smiled slightly and ran after her. Hikari came around the corner, talking animatedly with a few of her friends. Seeing Asuka laughing while Shinji attempted to catch up to her made her smile.  
  
'I'm glad that Asuka's so happy. She's much more at home here now and somewhat getting along with the other students in class now. Good for you Asuka.' she thought before being brought back into the conversation by a sudden question on of her friends asked. "I'm sorry, can you repeat that?"  
  
"Hikari, we aren't in school! Stop acting like the class rep and be a normal girl!" protested her friend Michiko.  
  
"I know, I know. Sorry you guys..." said Hikari, the smile still on her face.  
  
-- Central Dogma --  
  
"Shinji, Asuka! You're late! Where were you?!" yelled Misato as the two Pilots ran into the room, gasping for air.  
  
"We're...sorry Misato... Almost missed...the train...here. Sorry..." gasped Shinji as he clutched a stitch in his side. Asuka was behind him, bent over gasping for air as well and seemed as if she couldn't speak at all.  
  
"Well, that's a good enough reason. Catch your breath and go change into your plug suits. The tests are starting in fifteen minutes and you need to be ready!" said Misato as she smiled and turned to head back into the control room to ready the EVA Units. A few minutes later, Shinji grabbed his school bag that he had dropped and turned to see Asuka do the same.  
  
"Ready? Who do you think is going to win this time?" asked Shinji, testing to make sure that Asuka's competitive nature was still intact.  
  
"Me of course Shinji. Don't kid yourself; I'm the greatest Pilot alive. You're a close second though." she added with a smile before turning to head for the women's locker rooms. Shinji chuckled quietly to himself before heading towards the men's locker room.  
  
-- Fifteen Minutes Later --  
  
"Are you all ready?" said Misato into the microphone. The images of all three Pilots on the large monitor before her all opened their eyes.  
  
"I'm ready." said Shinji.  
  
"God, it's about time you asked! I've been waiting forever!" yelled Asuka.  
  
"You've been waiting for three minutes Asuka..." muttered Misato before turning towards Rei. "Rei? Are you ready?"  
  
"Yes Major." said Rei quietly.  
  
"Okay. Maya, begin engaging the test." ordered Misato. Maya nodded and began typing in the codes to begin the sync tests.  
  
"All systems green Major. Shall we proceed?"  
  
"Yes, precede Maya." said Misato. After a few moments, she watched all of the Pilots close their eyes in concentration and the sound of Maya's furious typing stop.  
  
"All systems green Major. How long are they supposed to be in there this time?" she asked as she looked over at Ritsuko.  
  
"Three hours." stated Ritsuko simply as she took a sip of her coffee.  
  
"That long?! W - won't that cause some kind of cranial damage?!" said Misato as she turned to face her co-worker.  
  
"No Misato, it won't. Don't worry about them. I know that you consider them all as your children, but believe me. I would never do something to hurt them intentionally. We all know that they risk their lives to fight the Angel's, and the sync tests are just to make sure that they are still able to do just that. Protect us, the rest of Tokyo-3 and the world from the Angel's."  
  
"True... But it's been mysteriously quiet lately... How long has it been since the last attack?" inquired Misato as she crossed her arms and leaned against the control panel.  
  
"About six months. It is very strange. Didn't they stop shortly after that new student transferred to Shinji's school?"  
  
"Yeah, they did stop after Shikaku transferred in... I wonder if it's some kind of connection..." muttered Misato as she scratched her chin.  
  
"Well, perhaps you shouldn't worry about it. I have a feeling another attack is not too far off." said Ritsuko calmly.  
  
"How can you be so calm about that?! We just finished rebuilding the city from the last attack! We don't want anymore attacks! I don't want to see these children have to risk their lives anymore!" yelled Misato, angry tears forming in the corners of her eyes.  
  
"Neither do I Major, believe me. I care about them as well, not nearly as much as you do, but I do still care. But according to the Magi system, there has always been a gap of several months between the attacks. The probability of one NOT occurring within the next two months is 0.00007%. We've rechecked it's readings about ten times so far, there is going to be another attack sooner or later."  
  
"So check again! I don't care how many times it takes, just make the probability say there won't be anymore attacks!" yelled Misato. Maya and the other technicians watched Misato shake with worry and rage, and Ritsuko remaining calm. They didn't want anymore attacks either, but if the Magi system said there would be one soon, all they could do was pray that it was wrong.  
  
"Oh Major Katsuragi, how naive you are." muttered Gendou Ikari as he watched the scene unfold on one of the small monitors that was mounted on the wall of his office. A small smirk formed on his lips as he continued to watch.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's note: o.O Big surprise there ne? Well, if you would like to find out what happens, stayed tuned! As few of you can probably tell, I'm just a little short on words today... Sorry, I'm just really tired because of Spirit "Days"... Feh...stupid school's power trip... They WILL fall however! If the rest of the Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors, future Freshman (the 8th graders) and I have anything to say about it! XD Heehee... Until next time, matte ne! ~ Nagi  
  
Feedback and ideas are always welcome at: yanagimayo@yahoo.com 


	16. A New Development and Asuka's Secret

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
Author's note: Well, I just got Final Fantasy X today, so I'm really happy about that! 'Oh my God' you say? Yes, I know I'm not rotting my brains playing that, but writing this. Heehee… Oh, and don't mind the fact that Asuka may be slightly OOC in the later part of the chapter. Well anyway, here's chapter sixteen of "Until the Day I Die"!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Title: Until the Day I Die  
  
Chapter title: A New Development and Asuka's Secret  
  
By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Three hours later, the Pilots finally emerged from within their Evangelions dripping in LCL. As they headed off towards the locker room to shower and change, Shinji stopped as he heard some voices. Peeking around a corner, his eyes grew wide and he began to tremble slightly. There was his father, talking to Fuyutsuki.  
  
"Fuyutsuki, have you located what we have been looking for?" asked Gendou quietly. He was acting as if he didn't want to be overheard, so Shinji edged around the corner a bit in order to hear them properly.  
  
"I believe so sir. I cannot believe that this young girl is the 'Angel of Fire' that you seek." said Fuyutsuki as he handed Gendou a small picture. Shinji froze as he caught a glimpse of the picture.  
  
"Yes, this is the 'Angel of Fire' I was searching for. Thank you Fuyutsuki. Send some officers from here to go retrieve the girl." said Gendou before turning around. Shinji gasped and quickly withdrew his head. Hearing his father's footsteps, he quickly dashed off towards the locker rooms in order to not be discovered eavesdropping.  
  
"Ikari… What are you planning to do with this girl? She has done nothing to us, what do you wish to do with her? I'm sure that Shinji will want to kill you more than ever for doing this." said Fuyutsuki to himself as he headed off towards his office.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Shinji, where were you? I was getting worried!" yelled Asuka as she ran up to Shinji, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "What happened? Your all tense… Why are you shaking? Shinji?!"  
  
"I… I need to tell you this… But, can we go somewhere…in…private?" stuttered Shinji quietly. Seeing Asuka's frightened face he quickly added, "No I'm not breaking up with you. It's about my father…"  
  
"Oh, okay. Come on, I know where we can go." said Asuka as she took his hand and led him out of Central Dogma and onto the subway. All the way there, Shinji was in a stunned silence.  
  
'Yes, this is the 'Angel of Fire' I was looking for.' Shaking his head, Shinji drove the thoughts of his father's comment and the image he had seen on the picture from his mind. Asuka was looking at him, concerned about him. What was his father planning?  
  
"Shinji, our stop is here." said Asuka as she gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Shinji looked up at her, nodded and stood up. Both walked off the subway and out into a small subway station that was near a very small temple.  
  
"Asuka, where are we?"  
  
"A place I found when I first moved here. I've come here often to pray, asking for strength to fight the Angel's." said Asuka as she lifted her head and closed her eyes, breathing in the fresh pine scent deeply. A small breeze blew, causing her hair and skirt to billow slightly.  
  
"Asuka, I – "  
  
"Don't worry about it. Now that I have you with me I can face anything. Come on, let's go find somewhere that you can tell me what happened." said Asuka with a small smile. Shinji nodded and followed Asuka towards the small temple.  
  
On the way there, Shinji admired the beautiful landscape and plants. He never really realized how lovely something could be during a time of war. That is, until he met Asuka. As they neared the temple, Asuka stopped suddenly. Crossing her arms out in front of her and pulling them back towards her torso, she flipped her bottom hand so that her left palm was directed upwards, her right hand's palm downwards. Glancing at Shinji, she then closed her eyes and bowed deeply.  
  
"Asuka, what was that?" asked Shinji as she straightened up.  
  
"It's nothing really. Just something that I picked up after coming here a few times. I don't know how I learned it, but I just did. Don't worry about doing it as well, you don't have to." she said as she resumed walking. Shinji nodded and followed her.  
  
"Asuka, do you mean what you said? Now that you have me, you can do anything?" inquired Shinji quietly as the temple became larger and larger.  
  
"Yes Shinji, I did. And you had better not keep bugging me about it either! And I don't want you to repeat that to anyone! Is that understood?"  
  
"Y – yes ma'am!" said Shinji as he saluted, a small smile tugging at his mouth. Asuka laughed and walked up to the stairway of the temple. Shinji looked at Asuka, then the shabby looking temple.  
  
"I'm aware that it looks like shit Shinji, but it's never crowded. I never have to deal with anyone's stares, I can be by myself, alone with my thoughts." said Asuka off-handedly as she closed her eyes and clapped to draw the God's attention. "And that's why I like it here."  
  
Shinji clapped as well, seeing as it was an ancient tradition in Japan. He wasn't sure how Asuka had learned and caught on to ancient Japanese tradition so quickly, but he wasn't going to ask her about it. They both walked up the small set of stairs and entered the vacant temple. Looking around, Shinji noticed there was very little of the things he had seen in temple's he went to while his mother was alive. There was one large gong, a statue of the Buddha, and a few scrolls with ancient kanji hanging on the walls.  
  
'What's this strange feeling? I feel…at home here. Why?' pondered Shinji as Asuka led him towards the Buddha statue. Sitting down, Asuka placed her hands together and bowed her head.  
  
"Shinji, come on. We should pray before we do anything else." she said quietly. Shinji nodded, making Asuka smile and the two prayed in silence, both wishing that the Angel's attacks would stop. And Shinji also wished that what he had heard earlier wouldn't come true.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's note: Okay, just got done watching "Final Fantasy – The Spirits   
  
Within" and its AWESOME! Mostly the fact that I'm in love with the graphics… Anyway, anyone who hasn't seen it (I mean, who HASN'T seen it?) go see it! And yes, I am now an official Final Fantasy junkie now. =) But I'll still be writing my heart out on this, so no worries. Stay tuned for next time, and I'll…see you then? Yeah, that sounds right… Until next time, matte ne! ~ Nagi  
  
Feedback and ideas are always welcome at: yanagimayo@yahoo.com 


	17. Homework, Discoveries, and Hacking

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
Author's note: Okay, thank you all for reviewing! I'd especially like to thank Danny (forgot your screen name, sorry!) for pointing out a little error I made in chapter thirteen with Touji and the hugging Shinji issue. Thank you! It is now fixed, so no problems there. Also, several people wanted to know why I made Asuka seem like she was a Buddhist. No, she's not a Buddhist, but many temples do have a Buddha statue there at least for good fortune. Besides, does her religion really matter? Anyway, enough of my ramblings! You all can decide for yourselves! Here's chapter seventeen of "Until the Day I Die"!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Title: Until the Day I Die  
  
Chapter title: Homework, Discoveries, and Hacking  
  
By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
After praying for about ten minutes, Asuka clapped her hands and bowed her head again. Shinji followed suit, stood up and stretched. Asuka did the same and the couple exited the small temple. Finding a small grassy area underneath a large birch tree, the two Pilots sat down under the shade.  
  
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" inquired Asuka as she looked at Shinji, curiosity shining in her eyes.  
  
"Well… I told you that it's about my father right?" Asuka nodded her head and Shinji exhaled deeply. "He's planning something… Something for NERV…"  
  
"Okay… And that plan would be what exactly?"  
  
"I'm not sure really, but he's looking for an 'Angel of Fire'."  
  
"So? What does that have to do with us?"  
  
"Believe me, it does." said Shinji. Leaning over to her ear, he whispered what he wanted to tell her. Asuka's eyes grew wide and she stared at Shinji when he pulled away.  
  
"Th – that can't be true! Why would your father want her?!" she shrieked. A few birds flew out of the tree they were under, protesting Asuka's sudden outburst.  
  
"I don't know… But I saw the picture and everything. We have to have Misato help us figure out what's going on at NERV." said Shinji solemnly.  
  
"Yeah, we do. But… Wait!" said Asuka as she suddenly pulled out a piece of paper from her coat pocket.  
  
"Do you seriously carry that around with you wherever you go?"  
  
"No, I just forgot to take it out of my pocket is all." said Asuka, as she unfolded the paper. Running her right index finger down the paper, she paused.  
  
"What did you find?" asked Shinji as he leaned over to see the paper.  
  
"She… She's been involved in numerous governmental issues before… Maybe that's why she moved?" said Asuka as she looked into Shinji's eyes.  
  
"Perhaps… But we should head back and ask Misato to look into it." said Shinji as he stood up. Holding his hand out, he helped Asuka get to her feet, and the two dashed off towards the train station to catch the last train home.  
  
-- Katsuragi Residence --  
  
"Misato, we're home!" called Shinji as he slipped off his shoes and dashed into the living room. Asuka came up behind him, both stopping suddenly.  
  
"Hello Shinji, Asuka." said Ritsuko as she smiled up at the two.  
  
"Uhh… H – hello Ritsuko. You know, I just remembered I have some homework left over! Asuka, will you help me?" said Shinji as he looked over at Asuka, urgency in his eyes.  
  
"Sure, I know how bad you are at math Shinji." said Asuka as she nodded. The two headed off towards Shinji's room, Shinji sliding the door shut.  
  
"Misato, shouldn't you be worried about them being in the same room together? Alone I mean." inquired Ritsuko quietly.  
  
"No, why should I? I trust them. And besides, these walls are paper thin. If anything did happen, we'd hear it…" said Misato, a look of horror crossing her face for a second. Shaking the thoughts from her head, her expression became serious. "So, what are we going to do?"  
  
"I…don't know Misato. I really don't. We have to figure out this connection between this girl and the Angel's attacks." said Ritsuko as she pulled out a small picture.  
  
"Let's see… How much do we know about her?" muttered Misato as she took the picture from Ritsuko. Taking a drink from her can of beer that sat beside her, a thought struck her. "She took Shinji to a concert."  
  
"And that helps us…how?"  
  
"I don't know. I guess it doesn't." said Misato as she smiled sheepishly. Ritsuko shook her head and took the picture back. Resting her chin on the top of her hand, she stared long and hard at the picture.  
  
"Do you know anything else about her Misato?"  
  
"No, not really. All I know is that she goes to Shinji's school. Oh, and she transferred in right after the last attack."  
  
"Are you sure? Can you get into the school's records and find out exactly when she transferred in?"  
  
"Sure… but why?" asked Misato as she stood up and headed into her room for her laptop.  
  
"Because, I want to find out if there really is some kind of connection between the attacks and this girl." said Ritsuko simply.  
  
"She does have a name Ritsuko. It's Shikaku. She's a very sweet girl, somewhat on the brat side, but sweet none the less." said Misato as she sat back down and placed the laptop on the floor.  
  
"Whatever. Just find out when exactly she moved here please." said Ritsuko, a bit of rage hidden in her voice.  
  
"Right, right…" said Misato as she began hacking into the school's computer system. "Found her. She transferred in the day after the last attack, which means she must have moved here the day of the attack."  
  
"Has…she been in school lately?"  
  
"No…" said Misato as she read the attendance that the teacher had taken for the last month. "She hasn't been in school for the last three weeks. I wonder why though…" she said as she closed the laptop.  
  
"I don't know, but maybe Shinji does? Or he could ask his friends if they know anything about why she hasn't been at school." suggested Ritsuko.  
  
"Yeah, I'll go do that now." said Misato as she stood up and headed for Shinji's room. "Shinji, can I come in?" she asked as she knocked on the door. After a bit of shuffling and footsteps, the door slid open.  
  
"Sure Misato. What's up?" asked Shinji as she smiled and stepped aside to allow Misato entrance to his room. Misato walked in the room, seeing Asuka at Shinji's small desk writing out a few math problems on a piece of scrap paper for Shinji to practice on.  
  
'Good, they aren't up to anything wrong…' she thought. "Oh nothing, I was just wondering if you could do me a favor is all."  
  
"Sure, anything!" said Shinji. Asuka put down her pencil and turned around in her chair to listen to Misato's request.  
  
"I was wondering, could you ask Kensuke and Touji if they've seen or heard from Shikaku lately?"  
  
"Yeah, no problem. I know that Kensuke took Shikaku her homework last week, so he would probably know." said Shinji. Asuka scoffed and returned to the problems she was writing down.  
  
"Really? Thank you so much Shinji!" said Misato as she hugged him, lifting him a few inches off the ground in the process.  
  
"Sure, no problem! Now…could you let me go? I'd like to be on the ground again…" laughed Shinji meekly.  
  
"Oh, sorry Shinji." said Misato as she put him down and smiled. "Thank you so much." As Misato left the room, Shinji slid the door shut and turned to face Asuka, the smile fading from his face.  
  
"What happened to asking her to help us?" whispered Asuka as she stood up and walked over to him.  
  
"Didn't you see Ritsuko? She was listening to the conversation. I couldn't have asked her. And besides, why would she ask about whether we've heard from Shikaku lately? Do you think she's in on it?" inquired Shinji softly as he sat down on his bed, followed by Asuka.  
  
"I don't know." said Asuka as she rested her head on Shinji's shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around his torso, pulling him closer. "I really don't know, but we had better figure this out soon. Before your father does something stupid."  
  
"Yeah, we do… But I'm sure that we'll figure it out together, and we can always get Misato and the guys to help us out if we have to."  
  
"True…" whispered Asuka as she nuzzled her cheek against Shinji's chest. 'But I hope we can figure it out without anyone's help…'  
  
'Father…you bastard. What are you planning to do with Shikaku?' thought Shinji as he rested his head on Asuka's. 'But I will make sure to stop you. Mark my words Father, I will stop you!'  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's note: Well, I hope you liked this chapter! In case you hadn't noticed, I left clues to who the 'Angel of Fire' was throughout this chapter. But I thought I should go ahead and reveal who it was at the end. It didn't take me too long to write it either. I'm sorry if these chapters seem somewhat short, but homework and the like are consuming my time. Sorry everyone! I'll try to make the following chapters a bit longer okay? But, let me know if there's anything else I should correct (like in chapter 13)! Also, if you have any ideas for developing the story more, don't hesitate to contact me! I'd be happy to put your ideas in here, as long as I can tweak it to my likings, as well as to follow the story! I'll give you full credit for the idea of course, but be sure to contact me! Until next time, matte ne! ~ Nagi  
  
Additional note: Although you guys probably don't care, I may have either bruised or sprained my elbow when I slipped and fell on some concrete. I thought that I would let you all know now in case I don't update for awhile. Doing everything left-handed and not being able to type at my normal 55 words a minute or so isn't fun. Sorry for being such a klutz you guys! I'll try to update whenever I can! ~ Nagi   
  
Feedback and ideas are always welcome at: yanagimayo@yahoo.com 


	18. Discoveries and Investigation

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
Author's note: Alright, my arm is feeling much better now so I thought I might write a little bit. I'm still not quite sure what is going to happen with this story, so it'll be a surprise to us all. I hope that you like it! And don't forget to let me know if you have any ideas! Well, here's chapter eighteen of "Until the Day I Die"!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Title: Until the Day I Die  
  
Chapter title: Discoveries and Investigation  
  
By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Well? What did they say?" asked Ritsuko as Misato sat back down on her chair.  
  
"They said that they would ask Kensuke and Touji for us." sighed Misato. "I really hope that the delays in attacks aren't connected with Shikaku though."  
  
"As do I Misato. Well, what do you think we should do?"  
  
"Oh? So the all-mighty Doctor Akagi is asking me, a lowly Operations Director, for advice?" teased Misato.  
  
"Shut up Misato. I meant that since you are around two of the Pilots all the time, you should know what to do without drawing attention." stated Ritsuko, a hint of coldness in her voice.  
  
"Ah… I see where you are coming from now." said Misato as she smiled. Leaning back in her chair, she put her hands behind her head. "I'm not too sure what to do next. Maybe we should talk to the Commander?"  
  
"No… That won't work. I have a feeling that there's something going on at NERV right under our noses. Maybe you should ask Kaji?"  
  
"What?! No way! Why should I?!" yelled Misato.  
  
"Well, you two are somewhat of a couple are you not?"  
  
"No, we are not!"  
  
"Oh please! I've seen you two together lately! You love him, but you won't admit it!" Judging by the red tint that suddenly appeared on Misato's face, she was right. "See, I am right."  
  
"Shut up." muttered Misato. "Oh all right… I'll ask him if he knows anything considering the fact that he's so buddy-buddy with the Commander."  
  
"Good. Well, I should get going Misato. Sorry I couldn't stay for dinner." said Ritsuko as she stood up. 'Not like it would be edible anyway…'  
  
"Alright, see you tomorrow then." yawned Misato. Walking Ritsuko to the door, she waved good-bye as her friend walked into the elevator and waved back. Sliding the door shut, she leaned against, sighing as she ran her fingers through her hair.  
  
"God… What are we supposed to do now?" she muttered to herself before heading back into the living room.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Hey! Kensuke!" called Shinji as he ran after his friend before school started. Asuka was walking behind him, talking with Hikari.  
  
"Oh, hi Shinji." said Kensuke as he turned around and smiled. "Have you seen Touji anywhere?"  
  
"Uhh…no." said Shinji as he caught his breath. "Hey, I have a question."  
  
"Okay what is it?"  
  
"Can we go…over there first?" whispered Shinji as he pointed towards a small shed that was off to the side of the school. Kensuke nodded and the two boys headed over to the deserted shed.  
  
"So…what's up?" asked Kensuke as he turned towards Shinji. "And what's with all the secrecy?"  
  
"You haven't…heard from Shikaku lately have you?"  
  
"Why? I thought you and Asuka were together. You aren't going to…cheat on Asuka are you? Dude, you are in some serious shit if you…"  
  
"No! That's not it! Misato wanted me to ask you!" said Shinji as he blushed. "She wanted to know if you have seen Shikaku lately."  
  
"Yeah, why?"  
  
"Well, you see… Your father works for NERV right?" Kensuke nodded. "Well, the other day I overheard my father and the Assistant Commander talking about this 'Angel of Fire'."  
  
"That's the translation for Shikaku's name!"  
  
"I know that! I'm not sure what it was about, but I know that my father's planning to do something with Shikaku!" whispered Shinji urgently.  
  
"A – are you sure?" stuttered Kensuke.  
  
"Yes, positive. Did she…seem different last time you saw her?"  
  
"Yeah, she seemed pretty out of it. Her whole family was I guess. I thought it was just some kind of family issue, like someone died or something." said Kensuke thoughtfully.  
  
"Okay, thanks Kensuke!" said Shinji before bowing and running off just as the school bell rang. Catching up with Asuka, he slipped his hand into hers.  
  
"So, did he tell us anything interesting?" said Asuka quietly.  
  
"Yeah… Seems that her whole family was really out of it last time he saw her." muttered Shinji out of the corner of his mouth. Asuka nodded but didn't say anything, her mouth set to a grim line.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
As soon as school was over, Shinji and Asuka dashed out of the building without even saying good-bye to their friends. Touji and Kensuke, along with Hikari, were wondering what they were up to.  
  
"I wonder if they're gonna make the 'ultimate commitment'…" said Touji without realizing it. Kensuke and Hikari stared at Touji like he was a mad-man.  
  
"What did you just say?" shrieked Hikari.  
  
"You know… The 'ultimate commitment'… I was just wondering if they were going to –" said Touji before Hikari's book bag connected solidly with his skull. Staggering slightly after the blow to his head, Touji looked at her surprised. "What was that for?"  
  
"You know exactly what that was for!" yelled Hikari shrilly. Several other students that were scattered across the courtyard turned around to witness the scene before them. "How dare you say that about our friends?"  
  
"Yeah! How could you say that?!" yelled Kensuke, mostly agreeing so as not to have Hikari's heavy book bag connect with his skull as well. Touji glared at Kensuke as he clutched the large bump forming on the side of his head where he had been attacked.  
  
"Yeah, well… Aren't you curious about why they ran off so quickly?" inquired Touji, keeping a safe distance from Hikari, as well as an eye on her bag that was now slung over her shoulder.  
  
"Well of course I am! But unlike you, I don't believe that they would be doing the unthinkable!" yelled Hikari.  
  
"Actually… I know why they ran off…" mumbled Kensuke, edging away from Touji.  
  
"You know why?! Why the hell didn't you tell us?!" yelled Touji as he picked Kensuke up by his shirt collar.  
  
"Because I just remembered!" choked Kensuke. "If you put me down like a good boy, I'll tell you." he said with a smirk. Touji snarled and set Kensuke down, slightly pushing him so that he momentarily lost his balance.  
  
"Thank you." said Kensuke as he brushed his clothes off and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "They ran off because they're trying to find out what's wrong with Shikaku."  
  
"Why would they do that?" asked Hikari. By this time, the stares they had attracted from their fellow peers had dissolved as the other students had returned to their own conversations.  
  
"Because Shinji overheard his father talking with the Assistant Commander a few days ago. I guess, from what Shinji told me at least, NERV is planning to do something with an 'Angel of Fire' and that's Shikaku."  
  
"Ironic isn't it?" said Touji as he scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Isn't that the translation of her name into English?"  
  
"Yeah, that's what I said." said Kensuke quietly. The three stood in silence for a few moments, all thinking of possible reasons why NERV would want with Shikaku.  
  
"I got nothing." said Touji solemnly after a few moments. Hikari and Kensuke both hung their heads, unable to believe Touji could be so stupid at times. "What? Was it something I said?"  
  
'It's EVERYTHING you say!' thought Hikari miserably. "No, no… Nothing at all Touji!" she said as she rubbed her neck and laughed awkwardly. Kensuke nodded his agreement when Touji looked at him expectantly.  
  
"Well, I suppose we should…get going? Everyone's already left already…" said Kensuke.  
  
"Yeah, and I would like to start my homework if you don't mind." said Hikari stiffly. The three walked out of the school courtyard and parted their separate ways to go home.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's note: Hey everyone! Sorry if this chapter seemed really short… My friends have been pressuring me to update, and… I couldn't really think of anything else to put in this chapter! Sorry everyone! Well, anyway… Review and let me know what you think of the story so far! Matte ne! ~ Nagi  
  
Feedback and ideas are always welcome at: yanagimayo@yahoo.com 


	19. A New Revalation

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
Author's note: I'm so sorry for not updating! I've been so busy with projects, homework, friends and everything else! I hope I can make it up to you! Oh, and a little side note; my e-mail has changed. I will put it at the end of this chapter like always. Anyway, here's chapter nineteen of "Until the Day I Die"!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Title: Until the Day I Die Chapter title: A New Revalation By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Shinji, hurry up!" called Asuka. Shinji was several feet behind her, gasping for breath. Deciding to stop so that he could catch up, she waited for her boyfriend to catch up. Shinji finally caught up a few moments later, and doubled over, taking deep breathes to replenish his lack of oxygen.  
  
"You...could have...waited...for me...earlier!" he gasped as he lifted his face slightly to look up at her. Perspiration ran down the sides of his face, and his cheeks were flushed. He looked absolutely miserable.  
  
"Sorry Shinji. You know I can run faster than you! I would have slowed down if you would have TOLD me to slow down!" scolded Asuka.  
  
"I couldn't breath!" said Shinji angrily as he straightened up. His angry expression softened as he realized who he was arguing with. Asuka's expression softened as Shinji pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry Asuka."  
  
"I'm sorry too Shinji. I didn't mean for you to fall behind. I just want to get this out of the way. This neighborhood gives me the creeps." said Asuka as she shuddered.  
  
"Yeah, I see what you mean." He had never realized it before, but Shikaku's neighborhood was very run down. Many of the houses needed repairs and the front gardens were over run by weeds. "I mean, we are in the outskirts of the city... Maybe that's why."  
  
"Maybe..." said Asuka quietly. The two looked at each other and nodded. They had to do it sooner or later. And for them, sooner was better than later. Walking across the streets, the two stood hand in hand on Shikaku's weed engulfed front yard. Looking over at Asuka, Shinji smiled.  
  
"Don't worry Asuka, nothing will happen." she said reassuringly. He was saying it to calm Asuka's nerves, as well as his own. Asuka looked up at him and smiled. Shinji caressed her cheek, brushing a stray piece of fiery red hair away.  
  
"You promise?" she whispered.  
  
"I promise Asuka. I promise." he said quietly as he leaned down. Without hesitation, he kissed her firmly on the lips. Without realizing it, Asuka had wrapped her arms around Shinji's neck, bringing him closer. Shinji wrapped his free arm around her waist, pulling her towards himself. The couple was lost in the moment until Asuka finally pulled away, her cheeks flushed.  
  
"We...we should get this done with first Shinji." she whispered as she leaned forward, resting her forehead on his chest. Shinji nodded and lightly kissed the top of her head.  
  
"I know we should Asuka..." he said quietly as he hugged her tightly. 'I just don't want this to end...' he thought as he looked at the light pink sky. Wriggling out of his warm grasp, much to both of their protests, Asuka began climbing the stairs to Shikaku's house. Shinji followed quickly, slipping his hand into hers. Asuka smiled and they both knocked on the door.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Commander, we have located the girl." said a uniformed man as he saluted to Mr. Ikari. Gendou looked up from the papers he had received from the UN and smiled slightly, a rare feat in his case.  
  
"Good. Send someone out to retrieve her immediately." he said as he returned to his paper work.  
  
"Yes Commander! Right away!" said the man as he saluted again and walked out of the room.  
  
Gendou looked away from his paper work towards the door the man had just disappeared. Standing up, he walked from his office and into a large hallway. Several officers were rushing about, trying to bring the statistics of the Evangelions as well as the research on when the next Angel would attack. Taking advantage of the current chaos, Gendou briskly walked down the hallway, weaving in and out of the NERV staff as he went. Taking a left, he headed down another hallway, and then took a right down a deserted hallway.  
  
Looking around, he made sure that no one had followed. Spotting the small keypad, he quickly typed in the code necessary to advance to the next room. The keypad beeped quietly several times and the door before him slid open. Taking one last glance behind him, he strode into the room, the door sliding shut behind him.  
  
Weaving his way around the objects that lay in various places in the room, he found the door he had been looking for. Opening it, he began to climb down a small ladder. Jumping off the last step, he landed with a splash in a kind of liquid. Not noticing it, he continued onward towards something very few within the organization knew was there. Coming to a large cross with a being of some kind, he stopped. Gazing up at it, he bowed his head. After being silent for a few moments, he lifted his gaze to stare at the being.  
  
"Lilith, it is almost time. Please be patient a bit longer." he said quietly. Bowing his head again, as if in respect, he turned on his heel and headed back towards his office so as not to be noticed missing.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Can I help you?" asked a woman of middle age when she opened the door. Seeing the two young people standing before her hand in hand, her expression hardened. Shinji, noticing this, quickly glanced at Asuka and they let go of the other's hand.  
  
"Yes. We're looking for Shikaku Yagahashii. We're classmates of hers. Both of us, as well as the entire class, are very worried about her. Would you please let us in to speak to her?" asked Shinji politely as he bowed, Asuka quickly following suite.  
  
"Well, I suppose so." said the woman as she opened the door further and stepped back. "She's in her bedroom. It's up the stairs and the second door on the right." she said as she smiled.  
  
"Thank you very much!" said Shinji as he bowed again and smiled.  
  
"Yes, thank you." said Asuka quietly. The two walked past the woman and slipped their shoes off before venturing any further into the house.  
  
Climbing the stairs, both Pilots noticed an unusual arrangement of photos on the wall. There were pictures of Shikaku's parents wedding, as well as when she was born. School photos and family portraits were also hanging along the wall, but one picture caught Shinji's eye. Stopping, he stared at the picture. The woman in it looked strangely familiar to him. His eyes widened as he realized who it was.  
  
"Mother?" he whispered.  
  
"Shinji...what's wrong?" asked Asuka quietly as she stopped behind him.  
  
"That's...my mother. Why do they have a picture of her?"  
  
"I don't know...but we should find out!" said Asuka as she side-stepped past Shinji, took his hand and drug him away from his mother's portrait.  
  
'Why....why is there a picture of her here? Was she a friend of their's? What's going on here?!' thought Shinji as he allowed himself to be drug upstairs.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Author's note: So sorry for the long wait! So much has been happening! Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter considering the many twists on here. Heehee... Yeah... Well, don't forget to review! Matte ne! – Nagi  
  
Any ideas and comments are welcome at: Yanagi_moon@yahoo.com 


	20. A Long Lost Secret Revealed!

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
Author's note: Alrightie! I've taken time out of my busy (NOT) schedule to write some more! Yay! XD My friend Jake has requested more EVA action, so I'm preparing to put more of that in here. I won't say when because that'll spoil the surprise. (Gomen Onii-san!) Anyway, here's chapter twenty of "Until the Day I Die"!  
  
Title: Until the Day I Die Chapter title: A Long Lost Secret Revealed! By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
"Shinji, come on!" whispered Asuka urgently, tugging at his arm. Shinji had followed her up the stairs, but had frozen as soon as his feet had touched the landing. "Shinji Ikari! What the hell is wrong with you?!"  
  
"Why? Why is there a picture of my mother in their hallway?" he whispered, not really noticing Asuka jerking on his arm roughly. Asuka stopped tugging and sighed.  
  
"Shinji, we're going to find out. Come on..." Gently taking his hand, she smiled reassuringly at him. Shinji, slightly coming out of his daze, smiled back. Squeezing his hand gently, Asuka began to walk down the hallway.  
  
"What did her mother say was her room again?"  
  
"Second door on the right. Shinji, your memory has become even worse since I met you." teased Asuka.  
  
"No it hasn't! I'm just...thinking."  
  
"Right, thinking of why they have a picture of your mother. Shinji, I know you're upset about it, but please, let's just talk to Shikaku and find out what we can. Okay?" said Asuka quietly as she turned to look at him. Seeing the look of pure concern on her face, Shinji smiled slightly and brushed a piece of red hair out of her face.  
  
"Okay Asuka. As long as you're with me, I can handle it." he whispered as he kissed her brow. Asuka smiled and gave his hand another reassuring squeeze. Turning around, she knocked three times on the door.  
  
"Go away..." came a small, weak voice from within the room.  
  
"Shikaku, it's me, Shinji Ikari. I was wondering if I could come in." called Shinji through the closed door. He didn't hear an answer, but standing back, he heard the distinct sound of rustling covers and footsteps. The door opened slightly to reveal a very sick looking Shikaku.  
  
"What do you want Shinji?" she asked as she covered her mouth and coughed loudly. Shinji and Asuka could only stare at the sight before them. Shikaku's once shiny, well kept, raven hair was now dirty and in a mess that hung around her face. Her eyes seemed to be void of all emotion except sadness.  
  
"We...we were worried about you Shikaku. The whole class is. You're falling behind and – "started Shinji before Shikaku cut him off.  
  
"Shinji, please. I don't feel well. I don't know why. Just...come back later okay?" Shinji looked at the frail, weak body before him and nodded.  
  
"Alright. We'll come back some other time. You just get some rest and feel better soon." he said gently. Shikaku smiled slightly, her eyes lighting up for an instant before the door clicked shut.  
  
"Well, she was a gold mine of information!" scoffed Asuka as she put her hands on her hips and glared at the door.  
  
"Asuka, she isn't feeling well. Didn't you see her? She looks horrible!" said Shinji; shocked Asuka would say anything like that about someone who was ill.  
  
"Yeah, yeah... Let's just get out of here okay?"  
  
"Alright, but I want to talk to her mother first." said Shinji. Seeing the look on Asuka's face, he enclosed her in his arms. "Please Asuka... Do this for me. I need to know what kind of relation they have to my mother." he whispered in to her neck.  
  
"Okay, I'll let you talk to her. But...make it fast okay? I have a bad feeling about this place." said Asuka as she kissed his cheek quickly.  
  
"Thank you Asuka. I promise to make it up to you." said Shinji as he released her and smiled warmly. Asuka nodded and the two headed downstairs. Shikaku's mother was waiting by the foot of the stairs, a look of concern on her face.  
  
"I'm terribly sorry if my daughter said anything rude to you and your friend! She's been – "began Mrs. Yagahashii until Shinji bowed.  
  
"Mrs. Yagahashii, your daughter did nothing rude to us. We know she is sick, and we forgive her, as well as wish her to become well again soon. But, I must ask something of you before we leave." said Shinji politely.  
  
"O – okay. I don't seem any harm in a little question." said Mrs. Yagahashii as she smiled. "Please, come sit down." she said as she gestured towards the living room. Shinji and Asuka bowed in respect before following the woman and sitting down on the lumpy sofa.  
  
"This is a lovely home you have Mrs. Yagahashii." said Asuka, lying through her teeth. She wanted to make the lady think she wasn't as rough as she looked.  
  
"Why thank you. I'm aware it needs a little renovation, but it has a roof that keeps the rain out and that's all that really matters right?" said Mrs. Yagahashii brightly.  
  
"Yes ma'am." said Asuka quietly. 'A little renovation is an understatement!' she thought scathingly.  
  
"So, what is it you wanted to ask me..." trailed off Mrs. Yagahashii as she searched her brain for the young man's name.  
  
"Shinji." he said, trying to help the older woman out.  
  
"Quite right. Now, Shinji, what was it you wanted to ask me?"  
  
"I was wondering why you have a picture of my mother on your wall." said Shinji quietly. Mrs. Yagahashii's eyes widened as she leaned back in her chair.  
  
"What was your mother's name Shinji? I'm sure there must be some sort of mistake. How could I have a picture of her on my wall?"  
  
"My mother's name was Yui Ikari. She worked for NERV and she died when I was very little." Asuka glanced at Shinji quickly, wondering why he had never told her this before. She guessed it must have been painful to speak of, and she knew how that felt only too well.  
  
"Yui-san? Oh my dear Lord! You poor boy! Not knowing all this time!" said Mrs. Yagahashii as tears filled her eyes and she leapt forward, embracing Shinji in her arms.  
  
"M – Mrs. Yagahashii! What's going on?! What hasn't Shinji known?!" screeched Asuka. Mrs. Yagahashii released Shinji, who rubbed his sore neck from the unexpected assault, and she wiped the tears from her eyes.  
  
"Yui-san...was my older sister." she said quietly.  
  
"She was your WHAT?!" screamed Asuka. Shinji sat frozen in his seat, his eyes wide, his brain not wanting to believe what he had just heard.  
  
'I...I have a family... Someone besides father... I never knew... Why? Why did they keep this from me? For what reason?' Thoughts similar to these ran through his head for a minute before his vision blurred and he collapsed on Asuka's lap.  
  
"Shinji? Shinji, what's wrong? Shinji?! SHINJI!" screamed Asuka as she noticed he had passed out. "Shinji! Shinji please! Wake up! Shinji!" she pleaded as tears fell from her eyes into his shiny, dark brown hair. She began to roughly shake him, like she did to wake him up for school, before Mrs. Yagahashii grabbed her hand.  
  
"Honey, he'll be okay. He probably just passed out because of the shock. I'm pretty sure that no one told him. I didn't even know myself he was my nephew. Come on, let's get him a blanket and a nice cold cloth for his forehead." she said gently as a tear fell down her cheek. Asuka nodded and looked back at Shinji before gently scooting out from under him and laying his head on a small pillow.  
  
'Shinji...be okay. Please... I don't know what I'd do without you.' she thought sadly as she followed Mrs. Yagahashii into the kitchen.  
  
Author's note: Wow... Talk about your sudden twists! XD I hope you guys like this chapter as much as I liked writing it! I'm not sure if Yui-san really DID have any siblings, but I thought it would be a nice twist for the later part of the story. Also, the "Shinji-passing-out" issue. I figured he would be the kind of person, who when overwhelmed with emotion after finding something that had been kept from him his whole life, would pass out. I hope I'm right! –crosses fingers- Well, review and I'll keep on writing! Matte ne! -- Nagi  
  
All ideas and complements are welcome at: Yanagimoonyahoo.com 


	21. Kaji’s Debut and a Little Surprise

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
Author's note: Sorry for not updating in SO long, but I was…grounded. –sob- That and I had exams and what not, so it was a little hectic around here. School ends tomorrow [June 11th] and I couldn't be happier! And now that I'll be out for summer, I should be able to write a lot more of this and update quite often. Anyway, here's chapter twenty-one of "Until the Day I Die"!  
  
----------------------  
  
Title: Until the Day I Die  
  
Chapter title: Kaji's Debut and a Little Surprise  
  
By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
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As Asuka and Shinji's new found aunt entered the kitchen, Asuka looked around. The cabinets were covered in filth, and several of the hinges were broken, leaving the doors halfway attached to the cabinets. There was a small table, big enough for no more than three or four people, and a few small, wooden chairs. There was a lace table cloth draped over the table that looked so ancient, it had to be a family heirloom.  
  
"This way Asuka, dear." said Mrs. Yagahashii as she headed towards the sink to dampen a cloth she had quickly gotten out of the linen closet that was located in the hallway right outside the kitchen. "Please don't mind the filth. With Shikaku being so sick, I haven't had much time to clean like normal."  
  
"Oh, that's quite alright Mrs. Yagahashii." said Asuka quietly. "I really don't mind at all. I just want to make sure Shinji is okay."  
  
"I'm sure you do. Now, I have something to ask of you Asuka." said Mrs. Yagahashii as she wrung out the extra water from the cloth and turned towards Asuka.  
  
"Y – yes? What is it?" asked Asuka, her voice shaking slightly. She was a little unnerved by Shinji's new found aunt requesting something from her, especially since she didn't have a clue what it could be about.  
  
"I want you to take care of my nephew for me. I can tell he loves you more than anything, and I know you love him as well." she said as she smiled warmly at Asuka.  
  
"Of course I will!" said Asuka as she blushed and bowed quickly. She had never imagined that would be Mrs. Yagahashii's request. "I'll do my best to care for your nephew ma'am!"  
  
"I'm glad to hear that. Now take this and go take care of him." said Mrs. Yagahashii as she handed the damp cloth to Asuka and shooed her out of the kitchen. Chuckling lightly to herself, she looked out the window. "My little nephew is so lucky to have her in his life…" she said fondly as she watched two birds nuzzling each other in the small tree outside the house.  
  
As Asuka walked back into the living room towards Shinji, she stopped and blushed. Somehow, his aunt's words were echoing in her mind. 'Take care of my nephew… He loves you more than anything…' Shaking her head to relinquish the thoughts from her mind, she walked the remaining distance towards Shinji and knelt beside him. Placing the cool, damp cloth on Shinji's sweaty brow, she gazed at his face in wonder.  
  
'I never really noticed how calm he looks when he's sleeping… I wonder what he dreams about…' she thought, surprising herself. She began tracing the line of his chin gently before taking his hand in hers and lacing their fingers together. Gently resting her head on his chest so that she could hear his heartbeat, she sighed. "Please be okay Shinji…" she whispered.  
  
---------------------  
  
"I wonder where those two are…" mused Misato as she balanced a pencil on the tip of her nose. There were stacks of papers for her to fill out around her, but she just didn't feel like it at the moment. She was too worried about Shinji and Asuka. She had called the apartment, and no one answered. She had then tried Shinji's cellular phone, but no answer there either.  
  
"Misato? Are you in here?" asked Ritsuko as she walked into the small office, trying to locate her friend in the masses of paperwork left to do.  
  
"Yes, I'm over here." said Misato as she waved her hand above a stack of papers on her desk so that Ritsuko would know where she was. Ritsuko sighed and walked over to Misato, avoiding knocking over any of the many large piles of papers.  
  
"Why aren't you filling anything out?!" screamed Ritsuko. "You are the Commander of Operations are you not?! You should fill these out!"  
  
"Why yes, yes I am the Commander of Operations Ritsuko. Thank you for noticing!" joked Misato as she grinned widely. Noticing the appalled look on Ritsuko's face and hearing the slight hint of a growl coming from her friend, she sighed. "I know I should be filling these out… But I'm just so worried about Shinji and Asuka."  
  
"What do you mean 'worried'? Has anything happened to them?"  
  
"I really hope not. I've called the apartment and Shinji's cell phone, but no answer. I think he left his cell phone at home on purpose so that I couldn't get a hold of him if I needed to."  
  
"Why would he do that?" asked Ritsuko, baffled by Shinji's sudden behavior.  
  
"How the hell should I know, Ritsuko?! I mean, sure I live with him and Asuka, but he has a hard time telling anyone anything remember?" snapped Misato as she brandished her pencil towards Ritsuko.  
  
"Hey, don't point that thing at me!" yelled Ritsuko as she snatched the writing utensil out of Misato's grasp before dropping it out of disgust. "Do you have to chew on every inch of your pencils?!"  
  
"Sure I do, if it annoys you enough." said Misato as she grinned again. "Anyway, let's be adults and be serious."  
  
"I was being serious!" yelled Ritsuko.  
  
"Yes, but now you are yelling and screaming like a little child Ritsuko. You are no one to talk about being serious." taunted Misato.  
  
"Alright, you win this round Misato." sighed Ritsuko as she straightened up and ran her fingers through her short blonde hair. "What do you think Shinji and Asuka could possibly be up to that they wouldn't answer the phone."  
  
"Do you REALLY want me to answer that with what I'm thinking right now?" said Misato dully as she narrowed her eyes and rested her hand on the palm of her hand.  
  
"No, I don't want to know your thoughts at it at this moment. But think…besides sex, which I highly doubt they are doing at the moment, what else could they be doing?" said Ritsuko as she sat on the small area on Misato's desk that wasn't covered in papers.  
  
"Well, they were both talking about going to check on that Shikaku girl sometime…" said Misato as she remembered overhearing a small bit of a conversation between Shinji and Asuka. She vaguely remembered Asuka yelling in protest and Shinji trying to calm her down to listen to reason. She giggled at the thought.  
  
"Why are you giggling? Did Kaji slip into your train of thought?" teased Ritsuko as she raised an eyebrow.  
  
"N – no! That's absurd Ritsuko! How could you think that?!" yelled Misato as she blushed. Scoffing, she picked up a small stack of papers and tapped the end of the stack on her desk, making the files even before setting them back down. "If you must know, I was 'giggling' as you call it because I was remembering the argument between Shinji and Asuka on the subject of seeing Shikaku."  
  
"Oh, so they ARE dating then?" asked Ritsuko, interested in this new information.  
  
"Of course they are. Would it be any other way? If you're thinking that Shinji should get together with Rei, forget it. Shinji and Asuka are in love whether you want them to be or not!" yelled Misato furiously.  
  
"Who said I wanted Shinji and Rei to get together? I think that Shinji and Asuka make a perfectly wonderful couple."  
  
"Well… Alright then… Back to the topic on hand then." said Misato awkwardly. Ritsuko smirked, loving being able to finally make Misato squirm after all those years of her ridiculing.  
  
"Do you think they would be going to see Shikaku? It's a possibility you know." said Ritsuko.  
  
"Hello there!" came a male voice from the doorway. Ritsuko turned around and smiled while Misato groaned and clutched her head.  
  
"Hello Kaji." said Ritsuko as she smiled.  
  
"What the hell do you want?!" yelled Misato as she stood up and pointed accusingly towards him. Kaji smiled and sauntered into the room towards Misato. Cupping her chin, his smile grew wider.  
  
"I have some interesting information for you my dear Misato." he whispered seductively. Misato pushed his hand away, an appalled expression on her face. Regaining her composure, she gave him her most dignified official face and crossed her arms.  
  
"What do you mean Kaji?" she said scathingly.  
  
"Well, I overheard as I was passing by…"  
  
"Eavesdropping you mean!" accused Misato angrily. Ritsuko covered her mouth to stifle her laughter, but to no avail.  
  
"Now, what would give you the idea that I would be eavesdropping on you Misato?" asked Kaji sweetly.  
  
"Because I know you well enough not to trust you." spat Misato.  
  
"That's all fine Misato, but I know you well too. Maybe I just shouldn't tell you the information regarding this Shikaku person you and Ritsuko were talking about." taunted Kaji as he turned to leave. Before he could take two steps, he was stopped by Misato grabbing his forearm rather roughly.  
  
"Tell me and I won't be forced to hurt you." whispered Misato fiercely. Her head was bending downwards, her black hair covering her face. Beneath her hair, her cheeks were flushing with rage.  
  
"Okay, I'll tell you." said Kaji as he lifted Misato's face to whisper in her ear. As he told her what he knew about Shikaku, Misato's eyes grew wide with fear and fury. Taking a step back, Kaji admired his handy work. He had managed to make her enraged and concerned; a side of her rarely seen.  
  
"Where's Shinji?" she asked, her breathing becoming heavy and shallow.  
  
"Hm… I believe I saw them heading towards Shikaku's home while on my way here." said Kaji carefully after a few moments of hard thinking. Misato walked around her desk and grabbed the collar of his shirt.  
  
"Why didn't you stop them Kaji?! You know how much I love them!" she screamed, angry tears streaming down her cheeks.  
  
"Yes, I know. I wasn't sure if any of this information I received about Shikaku was true or not until I arrived here… When I saw the NERV special agents heading out to fetch her."  
  
"What the hell do you mean Kaji?!" yelled Ritsuko, no longer finding this little scenario amusing.  
  
"You see…" began Kaji as he smirked. "Shikaku…is the Angel of Fire."  
  
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Author's note: Hmm…interesting stuff in this chapter ne? I had to have a majority of this chapter dealing with Misato because there's not too much you can have happen with Shinji passed out. Lol… Anyway, I'm sorry for the little comedy routine [if you can call it that] between Misato and Ritsuko. I thought that that would be how they would argue, so that's how it came to be in this chapter. As you can probably tell, the story's plot is unraveling pretty fast. I hope you all like it as I continue to write this! Don't forget to review! Matte ne! – Nagi  
  
Any comments or suggestions are welcome at: Yanagimoonyahoo.com [There is an underscore between Yanagi and moon as well as the 'at' symbol there. This is because I noticed that FFN seemed to have gotten rid of that!] 


	22. Dreams and Reality

_Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
Author's note: Okay, in this chapter there is a part where we go into Shinji's dream. The purpose of this is to reflect on all that has happened to him, both good and bad. Also, there is a part where he dreams of the worse thing that could happen to him (in his opinion), so don't let that disturb you. Anyway, hope you have fun reading! On to chapter twenty-two of "Until the Day I Die!"_

_Additional note: I figured out how to make things all spiffy-like! Go me! Hope you enjoy!_

_**The little segments of dots during Shinji's dream is to seperate the changing scenes within his dream.**_

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Title: Until the Day I Die  
  
Chapter title: Dreams and Reality  
  
By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)

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-- Recap --  
  
"Why didn't you stop them Kaji?! You know how much I love them!" she screamed, angry tears streaming down her cheeks.  
  
"Yes, I know. I wasn't sure if any of this information I received about Shikaku was true or not until I arrived here… When I saw the NERV special agents heading out to fetch her."  
  
"What the hell do you mean Kaji?!" yelled Ritsuko, no longer finding this little scenario amusing.  
  
"You see…" began Kaji as he smirked. "Shikaku…is the Angel of Fire."  
  
-- End Recap --  
  
Taking a step back, Misato brought her hand up to her chest, clutching at where her heart was as if it had been wrenched from within her and thrown on the floor to be destroyed by Kaji's foot.  
  
"The…Angel of Fire…?" repeated Ritsuko quietly, hoping what she was thinking wasn't true. If her thoughts were correct…Shikaku…was an Angel… Just as Kaoru had been.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me Kaji?" whispered Misato, refusing to look at him, but instead staring at her feet.  
  
"I said I wasn't sure Misato. You can understand that right?" said Kaji as he went to grasp her shoulder, only to have her smack his hand away.  
  
"…Misato… What in God's name are you doing?!" shrieked Ritsuko.  
  
Misato ignored her friend and walked to her chair that was positioned behind her desk. She stared long and hard at the paperwork on her desk before opening a drawer of her desk. Pulling out her gun, she pulled out the clip already within the weapon out to make sure she had enough ammo left. Reloading her gun, she tucked the weapon into the inside pocket of her jacket along with another clip and headed towards the door.  
  
"Misato, where are you going?!" demanded Ritsuko.  
  
Misato merely looked back at her concerned friend's face and her expression hardened, her resolve steeling for what she was about to do. "I'm going to go save my children." With that, she turned her head so that her eyes were focused towards the empty hallway before her. "If I have to kill the entire NERV faculty in order to save them, so be it."  
  
"Misato, this is insane! If you do this, you'll be fired!" yelled Kaji, fear of his beloved Misato losing her job.  
  
"I don't care Kaji. I don't give a damn about anything to do with NERV anymore… I just want to see my children safe and out of harm's way!" yelled Misato before setting off at a sprint towards the nearest elevator. 'Shinji…Asuka… Stay where you are until I get there… And for God's sake Asuka, don't do anything stupid!' Misato mentally yelled as she pressed the 'up' button on the elevator and dashed inside, the doors closing behind her.  
  
"She's officially gone over the edge… What did you tell her Kaji?!"  
  
"I only told her what I knew… That Shinji and Asuka are over at Shikaku's house to check on her and that NERV special agents are heading there to fetch her…"  
  
"Anything else I should know about Kaji?"  
  
"…Yes… The fact that if they cannot take Shikaku quietly…they were given orders by the Commander to kill anyone in their way… Which could result in Asuka and Shinji dying if they don't let Shikaku go, and knowing Shinji…he won't give up without a fight."  
  
"Why would the Commander do something like that?!" screamed Ritsuko, not being able to believe what Kaji had just said.  
  
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" said Kaji with a sly smirk.  
  
"Just what are you implying?! Are you saying the Commander and I…are a couple?!"  
  
"Ritsuko, if you were with the Commander, wouldn't you be blushing at this very moment?" said Kaji as he turned and left Misato's office.  
  
"How dare he… That bastard!" yelled Ritsuko as she knocked a large tower of papers off Misato's desk and stormed out of the office, slamming the door shut behind her.

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As Asuka drifted off into a doze while still resting her head on Shinji's chest, his heartbeat and warmth easing her worries, Shinji began to stir slightly. His head was swimming as if he were drowning in a lake with no escape, not laying on his aunt's couch with Asuka watching over him.  
  
-- Shinji's Dream --  
  
_ He began to dream, first of his childhood when his mother was still alive. He watched as his beautiful mother picked him up when he was four or five years old and point to a dragonfly as she talked to Kouzou Fuyutsuki.  
  
"Yes Shinji, that's a dragonfly." said Yui as Shinji giggled and continued to point.  
  
"Dragonfly!" he said happily. Yui smiled and turned to Fuyutsuki.  
  
"Yui…I don't like this idea of you working so closely with the Evangelion Units." said Fuyutsuki, concern written clearly on his face.  
  
"Fuyutsuki, please don't worry." said Yui calmly as she smiled up at him. "Nothing will go wrong."  
  
"Yeah! Nothing will go wrong!" said Shinji as he imitated his mother and stuck his tongue out. Fuyutsuki smiled at the small child and returned his concern to Yui.  
  
"Are you sure? I'm worried about you and your family Yui."  
  
"Don't worry so much! Nothing will go wrong!" said Yui.  
  
**……………..**  
  
"Father! Why are you leaving me?!" cried Shinji, no older than 7 years old as he watched his father's car drive down the street and out of his life. "Why are you leaving me?!"  
  
**……………..  
**  
"Shinji Ikari… You will pilot Evangelion Unit 01." said Misato.  
  
"No! No, I can't! I don't even know what this thing is!" yelled Shinji.  
  
"Fuyutsuki, bring Rei out." said Gendou quietly.  
  
"Are you sure she can pilot it Commander?"  
  
"She isn't dead." was all Gendou said as he watched his son.  
  
Shinji watched in horror as the nurses brought Rei out on a stretcher, bandages covering her body. Everyone watched in astonishment as Evangelion Unit 01 broke it's restraints to keep Shinji from harm as the Angel attacked Central Dogma directly.  
  
"We can do this." whispered Misato confidently. Shinji dashed over to Rei's side to help her since she had fallen off the stretcher in the shockwaves of the attack. As she gasped in pain, Shinji looked at his hands…covered in blood…Rei's blood.  
  
"I'll pilot it." he said quietly.  
  
**……………..**  
  
"I'm Asuka Langley Soryu!" said the new EVA pilot.  
  
"Welcome to NERV." said Misato as she smiled.  
  
**……………..**  
  
"Asuka I... I really like you."  
  
"Shinji...I... Let go of me!" yelled Asuka as she wriggled out of his grasp, blushing furiously. Shinji merely blinked and hung his head.  
  
"I'm sorry Asuka..." he whispered. Asuka then realized it was now or never and she hugged him tightly. "Asuka? What's wrong? Why are you crying?"  
  
"Shinji, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I'm just trying to protect you because...because I really like you too." sobbed Asuka into his shirt. Shinji was speechless and immobile for a few moments before finally regaining the ability to move his arms.  
  
**……………..**  
  
Climbing the stairs, both Pilots noticed an unusual arrangement of photos on the wall. There were pictures of Shikaku's parents wedding, as well as when she was born. School photos and family portraits were also hanging along the wall, but one picture caught Shinji's eye. Stopping, he stared at the picture. The woman in it looked strangely familiar to him. His eyes widened as he realized who it was.  
  
"Mother?" he whispered.  
  
"Shinji…what's wrong?" asked Asuka quietly as she stopped behind him.  
  
"That's…my mother. Why do they have a picture of her?"  
  
**……………..**  
  
"Asuka! No! Come back!" yelled Shinji as he chased Asuka further into the dark hallway.  
  
"You'll have to catch me first!" said Asuka as she stopped running and turned around, smiling. Shinji smiled and ran faster, only to see something unspeakable. A giant hand…no! An Angel's hand coming up behind Asuka.  
  
"Asuka! Look out!" cried Shinji, fear and panic wrenching at his heart.  
  
"Shinji!" screamed Asuka as the Angel grabbed her with a hand that seemed very human like. Shinji watched in horror, unsure of what to do next. As he watched Asuka being lifted higher and higher, he finally saw what was holding her.  
  
"Asuka! NO!"  
  
He could only watch in horror as he watched the Angel become an Evangelion….HIS Evangelion….and begin to crush Asuka slowly. His ears filled with the screams of his girlfriend and he too was snatched up, this time by Unit 02…Asuka's Evangelion.  
  
"Sh-Shinji….h-help me…" gasped Asuka as she outstretched her hand, attempting to grasp Shinji's hand. Shinji stretched his arm out to grasp Asuka's hand, and their fingers barely touched before Asuka's blood curdling scream filled his ears. He watched in horror as her life was squeezed out of her, only to see her limply lying in his EVA's grip.  
  
"Asuka… NO! ASUKA! COME BACK! ASUKAAAAAAAAAA!" cried Shinji, tears flowing down his cheeks. He felt the grip the EVA had around him tighten, and he filled his mind with the image of Asuka one last time before he had the life squeezed from his body…  
  
_-- End Shinji's Dream --  
  
Shinji's eyes snapped open as he awoke from his dream. He wiped his forehead, realizing he had broken into a cold sweat. Looking down at his chest he smiled. Asuka was calmly sleeping, her head resting on his chest. Her cheeks were flushed slightly, and her mouth opened slightly every few seconds to let a little breath escape. He smiled and squeezed her hand slightly, letting his head fall back on the pillow. He closed his eyes, making a memory of this moment to block out his dream. He heard a slight knock on the front door and saw his aunt bustle her way towards the front door.  
  
"Can I help you?"  
  
"Ma'am, we're with NERV. We're here to see Shikaku Yagahashii. Is she available?" said a tall man with a black suit and sunglasses. Shinji's eyes snapped open as soon as he heard this. It was really happening!  
  
"Yes… but she's not feeling well. Can you come back some other time?" said Shinji's aunt politely.  
  
"I'm afraid we can't do that ma'am. We have orders from Commander Ikari to bring your daughter back to headquarters." Shinji desperately began to shake Asuka back into consciousness. He heard her moan a little before her eyes opened halfway.  
  
"Shinji…what's wrong?" she mumbled as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.  
  
"Asuka, they're here! NERV is here to get Shikaku!" whispered Shinji urgently. Asuka awoke instantly, her eyes wide.  
  
"What…? Already?! What do we do Shinji?!"  
  
"I don't know… Let's just try to stop them!" said Shinji as he stood up.

-----------------------  
  
_Author's note: Okay, that took me quite awhile to write… I'm off to go read other people's fanfics… PLEASE don't kill me! I need ideas! x.x_


	23. Shikaku's Rescue

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
_Author's note: In this chapter, you'll notice Shinji getting quite brave. I realize that is a little OOC, but I had to have it happen! You'll see why when you read though! ;D Here's chapter twenty-three of "Until the Day I Die"!  
_  
----------------------  
  
Title: Until the Day I Die  
  
Chapter title: Shikaku's Rescue  
  
By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
----------------------  
  
-- Recap –  
  
"Asuka, they're here! NERV is here to get Shikaku!" whispered Shinji urgently. Asuka awoke instantly, her eyes wide.  
  
"What…? Already?! What do we do Shinji?!"  
  
"I don't know… Let's just try to stop them!" said Shinji as he stood up.  
  
-- End Recap –  
  
"What do you mean by 'let's try to stop them'?!" whispered Asuka as she grabbed Shinji's wrist, stopping him from going any further.  
  
"Just what I said. We have to stop them from taking her. She's my cousin… I can't let them take my family away again." said Shinji as he looked at Asuka with a renewed courage.  
  
"…Again? Shinji, what do you mean again? What has NERV done to your family? I know your father is a bastard Shinji, but what about your mother…? She couldn't have worked for NERV! Shinji…" Shinji didn't look at Asuka, but instead focused on the wall in front of him.  
  
"My mother…she worked for NERV. She worked with the Evangelions while they were still developing them… I don't know what happened to her…but next thing I knew, my father had left me with my teacher when I was seven." he said quietly, his expression becoming stern. He looked back at Asuka, tears flying from the corners of his eyes as he turned his head. "That's why I have to protect my family!"  
  
"Shinji…" said Asuka as she hugged him. _'I never knew… I never knew he went through so much… We…really are alike…just like Misato said.'_ As she stood back, keeping a hand interlocked with his, she nodded as an expression to match his formed on her face. "Alright, let's keep these slim balls away from your family Shinji!"  
  
"Thank you Asuka…" whispered Shinji, smiling slightly as he squeezed her hand in reassurance.  
  
"Now let's go kick some NERV ass!" they yelled together as they dashed into the entryway, hand in hand to protect Shinji's newfound family.  
  
----------------------  
  
"God damn it!" yelled Misato as she pounded on the car's horn. "What the hell?!"  
  
Misato had quickly left to get Asuka and Shinji out of harm, but as soon as she had hit the freeway, she got stuck in traffic. Her temper was very short, and she felt like killing a few of the people in front of her. As traffic sped up, she took a side road to get to the outskirts of Tokyo 3 faster. She had printed up everything she could about Shikaku the previous day, and the papers were still in her glove compartment.  
  
"SHIT!" she screamed as she swerved to avoid hitting a pedestrian. Reaching over to the passenger seat, she undid a lock under the seat and pulled out the papers she had on Shikaku. As she skimmed the papers, she found Shikaku's address and made a sharp left turn, almost flipping her car over in the sudden change of direction.  
  
As she accelerated the car's speed, she knew she'd get in trouble with NERV for leaving without the Commander's authorization, but she didn't care. 'Screw the Commander… He can kiss my ass for all I give a shit anymore.' she thought angrily as she made another sharp turn, a small suburb coming into view. "This must be the place." she muttered as the car screeched to a halt and she jumped out, dashing towards the Yagahashii household.  
  
----------------------  
  
"Ma'am, I would appreciate it if you would kindly let us take your daughter back to headquarters." said the tall man from Section Two sternly, his patience waning.  
  
"What are you going to do with her?" demanded Mrs. Yagahashii.  
  
"That's top secret ma'am. Just let her come with us. We'll bring her home safely in a few days."  
  
"You are not taking my daughter anywhere without telling me why first!"  
  
"Ma'am, I don't wish to do this…" said the man as he pulled a gun out of his suit jacket, aiming the barrel at Mrs. Yagahashii's head. "I have orders to kill anyone in my way while I am to retrieve the girl. Step aside and let me have the girl."  
  
"I'd rather die than let you take my daughter anywhere." said Mrs. Yagahashii, anger ringing in her voice.  
  
"Then I have no choice…" said the man as he loaded the gun and prepared to fire the trigger. "Good-bye Mrs. Yaga –"  
  
"NO!" yelled Shinji as he jumped in front of his aunt.  
  
"Th-Third Child… What are you doing here?" asked the man in shock as he lowered his gun.  
  
"If you want to kill her, you'll have to kill me first." said Shinji quietly, not looking at the man. He knew that his father would go into a rage if he were killed; not because his father loved him…but because he was pilot of Unit 01.  
  
"What are you talking about Third Child?! Stand aside!"  
  
"No. No I won't let you kill my aunt."  
  
"Your…aunt? What in the name of God are you talking about?!"  
  
"I just discovered she is my aunt from my mother's side. Which makes Shikaku my cousin." said Shinji, a triumphant smirk forming on his face. "And since they are family, I have every reason to protect them."  
  
"Stand aside!"  
  
"No."  
  
"I said stand aside boy! The Commander won't care if I kill you or not!" shouted the man as he raised his gun again.  
  
"Oh, but he will. He will and you know it. Why do you think you are shaking? You know if you kill me, the Third Child, Pilot of Evangelion Unit 01, you will be severely punished. You know this… Otherwise, I'd already be dead, wouldn't I?" whispered Shinji menacingly.  
  
"You ungrateful brat! I will not be punished for killing you! The Commander gave me orders to kill anyone in my way, and you are in my way boy…"  
  
"Yes, well if you want to kill Shinji, you'll have to kill me as well." said Asuka as she stepped up to Shinji's side and held his hand, glaring at the man before them. "And with two EVA Pilots dead, then what will you do?"  
  
"We still have the First Child!"  
  
"Yes, we are aware you will still have Rei…" began Shinji.  
  
"However, her EVA Unit continues to go berserk, am I correct?" finished Asuka.  
  
"W-we can find new Pilots! You are replaceable you know!"  
  
"Yes…but who can make Unit 01 become so powerful it can snap its restraints?" whispered Asuka. "Shinji's the only one who can do that."  
  
"And Asuka's the only one who is brave enough to take on two Angel's at once… What will you do without us at NERV?" said Shinji quietly.  
  
"We…we will manage! Now step out of the way, both of you!" yelled the man.  
  
"No, you won't manage. You know his father will have your head if you kill me and Shinji. He may like Rei the best out of us, but she's no match compared to us." said Asuka smugly. Unaware to the four people below the stairs, Shikaku had snuck out of her room and was watching in horror from the top of the stairs.  
  
'What are they doing?! Why are they risking their lives for me…?' she thought.  
  
"Move."  
  
"No."  
  
"I said get out of the way!"  
  
"And we said no." said Asuka and Shinji in unison.  
  
"MOVE OUT OF MY WAY!" bellowed the man.  
  
"NO! We will NOT move out of your way to let you harm my cousin!" roared Shinji.  
  
'Shinji…you've gotten so brave… I'm proud of you…' thought Asuka as she squeezed his hand slightly.  
  
"You God damn kids are the reason NERV will never be in allegiance with SEELE!"  
  
"…What the Hell are you talking about?!" shouted Asuka. "What do you mean by 'in allegiance with SEELE'?! What the Hell is going on at NERV?!"  
  
"Shinji, Asuka! Get down!" came a female voice from the doorway. Shinji and Asuka obeyed and threw themselves onto the floor as they heard a gunshot and saw the man from Section Two fall to the ground in a pool of blood. "Sorry you had to see that." said Misato as she walked into the small house.  
  
"Misato! What are you doing here?!" shouted Shinji, extremely glad that she was there.  
  
"I came to get you and Asuka of course. Did you think I'd leave my children to fend for themselves against evil like that?" said Misato as she hugged them both tightly. Shinji and Asuka hugged her back before stepping away and looking at the dead agent on the ground.  
  
"Clean shot to the head…" said Asuka as she bent down to inspect him. Looking up at Misato, an expression of curiosity written on her face. "Since when did you learn to shoot like that?!"  
  
"I've known how to for quite awhile now. But that's not the point. Mrs. Yagahashii, I am Major Misato Katsuragi, Director of Operations at NERV." she said as she saluted.  
  
"You aren't going to harm my child are you?!" yelled Mrs. Yagahashii.  
  
"No, of course not." said Misato as she smiled. "I'm simply here to bring your child back to my apartment to keep an eye on her, and to make sure Section Two doesn't get her when they come back like I know they will. They are such the persistent bastards in NERV."  
  
"A – alright… Shikaku! Come down here!" Shikaku slowly came down the stairs, tucking a few loose pieces of hair behind her ear. "Shikaku, honey… Shinji, Asuka and Major Katsuragi here are inviting you to stay with them for a little while."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because…someone's trying to get you. Misato's going to be keeping an eye on you, and Shinji here will make sure that nothing happens to you."  
  
"Alright…but how long do I have to stay?"  
  
"Until we figure out why the Commander wants you." said Misato with a quick glance at Shinji.  
  
"Okay, let me go get my stuff…" said Shikaku as she headed back upstairs to pack.  
  
"Thank you for letting her come stay with us. We'll keep you posted, and have Shikaku call everyday. But we'll make sure it's on a scrambled line so that they can't trace the calls okay?" said Misato as she smiled warmly at Mrs. Yagahashii.  
  
"It's not a problem. But make sure you take care of my daughter…and my nephew." she said as she ruffled Shinji's hair, much to his protests.  
  
"Nephew?" whispered Misato as she looked at Shinji.  
  
"I'll explain when we get home…" muttered Shinji.  
  
"Alright."  
  
Once Shikaku was downstairs and ready to go, she said good-bye to her mother and everyone piled into Misato's tiny car.  
  
"Geez Misato! Ever consider getting a bigger car?!" gasped Asuka as Shikaku's duffel bag got shoved under her ribs.  
  
"No, why should I?" said Misato as she grinned goofily.  
  
"Oh just shut up and drive." muttered Asuka as she crossed her arms and scowled.  
  
"Alright, Miss Bitchy. Keep your pants on." joked Shinji.  
  
"What did you call me?!" yelled Asuka as she lunged forward and attempted to smack Shinji upside the head.  
  
"Hey! Knock it off back there!" yelled Misato as she swerved the car slightly.   
  
----------------------  
  
_Author's note: …Sorry for the little comedy scene at the end… Couldn't help it y'know? Well, I'm off to go rot my brains by playing Sims for PS2 and watching Evangelion! =D …Please don't kill me! I rented it from the Public Library! –mutters- Believe it or not…they have quite an anime selection to choose from… Anyway, I'll write more later! –ducks the flying vegetables and rubber ducks being thrown at me-_


	24. Welcoming Shikaku

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
_Author's note: I'm sorry for not updating like I should have yesterday, but my dad was ripping up the carpet for some strange reason... Anyway! This chapter isn't as serious as the previous ones just for a little comic relief. And as suggested, I have added a bit more detail to the surroundings, facial expressions, etc. Now here's chapter twenty-four of "Until the Day I Die"!_  
  
----------------------  
  
Title: Until the Day I Die

Chapter title: Welcoming Shikaku

By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
----------------------  
  
"Alright everyone, we're home." said Misato as she pulled up to the apartment building's parking garage and shut off the engine. Shinji silently got out of the car, to absorbed in his thoughts to notice much.  
  
_'What did that dream mean? Was it a premonition? I hope not... I don't know what I'd do without Asuka...'_ he thought miserably as he took Shikaku's duffel bag while she climbed out of the car. _'Why did I dream of my mother...? Why did my dream have all of those memories? I thought I had forgotten those days...or at least...I tried to...'_  
  
"Shinji? Shinji, are you okay?" asked Shikaku as she lightly tapped her cousin on the shoulder. Shinji's eyes returned to their normal blue color as he smiled.  
  
"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry about me Shikaku. Go on ahead. I need to talk to Asuka about something." he said as he handed Shikaku her bag and nodded towards Misato who was standing in the doorway waiting for them.  
  
"Okay Shinji."  
  
"Asuka... I need to tell you something..." said Shinji quietly after he made sure that there was no one around to hear him.  
  
"What is it Shinji?" asked Asuka, giving him a puzzled look as she quietly shut the car door. 'Please don't be breaking up with me!' she thought.  
  
"Don't worry Asuka. I'm not breaking up with you." said Shinji as he smiled slightly and pulled Asuka into an embrace.  
  
"Then...what's up Shinji?" murmured Asuka as she nuzzled the side of his neck, breathing in his scent. He always smelled so fresh...and so clean for some reason. Just being near him made her feel calmer; as if his mere presence could soothe her worries and calm her soul.  
  
"Asuka...back at my aunt's house... I had a dream..."  
  
"What kind of dream?" she whispered.  
  
"It's...a long story... Maybe we should head up to the apartment before I tell you anything." said Shinji as he loosened his grip around her waist.  
  
"Okay Shinji. Whatever you want..." said Asuka as she stood on tiptoe and kissed him. Pulling away a few moments later, the two Pilots headed towards the apartment.  
  
----------------------  
  
"What do you mean you failed to retrieve the girl?!" yelled Gendou Ikari as he slammed a fist onto his desk. He was pissed, and everyone knew it. He never became enraged about anything, not even when one of the EVA Units became damaged in an Angel attack.  
  
"We...we heard nothing from the man we sent to retrieve her for a few hours, so we headed over to where the girl lives. When we got there, he was...laying on the curb...dead." said one of the agents from Section Two as he nervously glanced around for some sort of support. "There was nothing we could do Commander."  
  
"I see... Did you try to figure out how he died, or by whom?" said Gendou, his rage ebbing away slightly. He had taken his trademark position, his fingers intertwined and his elbows on his desk, as if shielding his face.  
  
"We did investigate Commander... It was a clean shot to the head by a .22 caliber hand gun." said the agent as he read off the notes they had taken upon inspecting the fallen agent.  
  
"Any lead as to whom yet?"  
  
"No Commander. However, when we asked the woman believed to be the girl's mother, she said that Shikaku wasn't home."  
  
"Are you suggesting someone has gotten her before we could and has relocated her?"  
  
"Yes Commander, we do suspect that someone has relocated the girl."  
  
"Find her, and bring her here immediately."  
  
"Yes Commander! Right away sir!" said the agent as he saluted and quickly exited the office.  
  
_'So someone has gotten to her before me... However, I have my ways of getting what I want... And I will have this girl. Whether it be by force, I don't care. I will have her.' _thought Gendou as he pushed a small button located on his desk, a small screen to his left flickering on to show Fuyutsuki's face.  
  
"Yes Commander?"  
  
"Fuyutsuki, could you see if Major Katsuragi is available for a short meeting?"  
  
"Yes Commander." said Fuyutsuki and the small screen when blank for a few minutes before it flickered back on. "Commander...it seems that Major Katsuragi has...left early today."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"She's not in her office, nor on the observation deck."  
  
"Let her be for now. I shall deal with her later, when the time comes." said Gendou as he turned his gaze from the small screen to the dark, empty office.  
  
"Yes Commander." said Fuyutsuki quietly as the screen went blank. _'Katsuragi...what are you up to?'_ he thought as he returned to his paperwork.  
  
----------------------  
  
"Welcome home Shikaku." said Misato brightly as she opened the door to the apartment she shared with Shinji and Misato. "It's a little small, I know...but bare with us."  
  
"It's wonderful Miss Katsuragi." said Shikaku as she bowed.  
  
"Please, call me Misato. Everyone does. Shinji, Asuka come on! How long are you going to take?!" Misato yelled over her shoulder.  
  
"We're coming!" came Shinji's call as he and Asuka dashed from the elevator to the apartment hand in hand.  
  
"Um... Misato, where is Shikaku going to sleep?" asked Shinji as they all entered the apartment and took off their shoes, Asuka pushing the button to shut the door.  
  
"Well... How about, she sleeps in your room Shinji, and you can share a room with Asuka. Unless...that is...I can't trust you two." she said with a wink.  
  
"N – no, you can trust us Misato." said Shinji quietly as he blushed and looked at Asuka who was blushing as well.  
  
"Alright then! Shinji, go get what you need for tonight and put them into Asuka's room. Asuka, make some room for him. Shikaku, make yourself at home. I'll start dinner" said Misato as she went into her room to change.  
  
"Oh great. Just what we need..." muttered Asuka.  
  
"What do you mean? I'm sure that Misato is a wonderful cook!" said Shikaku as she looked at Asuka as she was led towards Shinji's room.  
  
"Obviously you haven't had her cooking." said Asuka as she headed for her room to clear some room for Shinji and a futon. Once Asuka had disappeared into her room, Shinji emerged from his own holding a pair of pajamas and his school uniform.  
  
"Is it that bad Shinji?"  
  
"Yes, I'm afraid it is... Maybe if I can get to the kitchen before her, I can make dinner." he said as he smiled and walked into Asuka's room, sliding the door shut behind him.  
  
Shikaku slowly slid the door to Shinji's room shut and looked around, turning on the lights. As she looked around, she saw his school uniform hanging in the small closet, each piece of clothing carefully placed on the metal hangers. The carpet was a deep blue and seemed soft against her feet. His bed was made, the sheets stretched tightly over the top of the bed and the edges tucked neatly under the mattress. She sighed and set her bag down next to his desk. His room was very clean, yet he had almost nothing of interest to look at. She saw his cellular phone on his desk, but didn't think much of it. Scanning the room, she saw a figurine, possibly given to him by Misato when she had come back from one of her business trips with NERV. But...why would he have a figurine of an angel?  
  
Picking it up slowly, she slowly ran her fingers over the fine details of the angel figurine. The gown seemed to billow around the angel and she traced the outline of the wings. She smiled slightly as she gazed at it. The figurine calmed her down and gave her hope. Setting the small fragile figurine down, she began unpacking.  
  
-- Elsewhere... --  
  
"Shinji! Stop moving my things!" screeched Asuka.  
  
"Asuka... I need to move something so I can sleep in here!" complained  
Shinji as he looked around her crowded room. There were many boxes  
stacked atop one another, though much less than what she had when she had  
first moved in, it was still quite a sight to see.  
  
"Well, let me move them okay? There are some very personal things in  
these boxes..." said Asuka as she picked up a box and walked across the  
room to set it down.  
  
_'How can she live like this?'_ thought Shinji as he sighed and set his  
things down on a box. "Well, I'm going to go and start dinner before  
Misato does."  
  
"Alright Shinji." Shinji sighed again and exited the room, quietly  
shutting the door behind him. Walking past the television and two small  
chairs and several pillows that were strewn across the living room floor,  
he entered the kitchen. He saw PenPen run in terror towards his  
refrigerator and Shinji became afraid to see what was in the kitchen.  
  
"Misato? Are you in here?" said Shinji quietly as he edge silently  
around the doorframe.  
  
"Oh there you are Shinji!" said Misato happily, a knife in one hand, a  
carrot in the other. Shinji's eyebrow started to twitch as he caught  
sent of what Misato was cooking.  
  
"Misato, what are you cooking?!"  
  
"Dinner of course! What else would I be cooking?" said Misato,  
baffled by Shinji's question.  
  
"No, I mean... What kind of _**food**_ are you cooking?"  
  
"Miso soup and stir fry of course! Unless you'd rather have ramen."  
said Misato as she grinned.  
  
"No... Misato, why don't you go show Shikaku around, and I'll make  
dinner?" suggested Shinji quietly. Misato beamed and set down the knife  
and carrot, throwing the apron at Shinji.  
  
"Good luck Shinji." she said as she quickly exited the kitchen.  
  
"Gee...thanks Misato." muttered Shinji as he put on the apron and began  
to fix the disaster Misato had created.  
  
----------------------  
  
_Author's note: Okay then. Don't forget to review while I go feed my  
Neopets and write some more!_


	25. Home Life

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
_Author's note: Okay, SBC kind of killed our DSL, so it may be awhile until I can update again. Anyway, I've gotten many requests/complaints/threats about longer chapters. So I'll try to get at least ten pages per chapter starting now! Don't get your hopes up too high though. The keyword here is: "TRY". Anyway, here's chapter twenty-five of "Until the Day I Die"!_  
  
----------------------  
  
Title: Until the Day I Die

Chapter title: Home Life

By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
----------------------  
  
"Wow, it smells so good!" said Shikaku as she stood in the doorway of the kitchen, watching Shinji work. She had already been given a tour of the apartment by Misato and had taken a hot bath. She looked much healthier, her eyes twinkling. "Do you cook much Shinji?"  
  
"I suppose so. Go look at the chore chart." said Shinji in an offhand tone as he gestured towards the large chart that he and Misato had made the first day he moved in. He still wasn't over the fact they had assigned the chores by playing Rock-Paper-Scissors.  
  
"Shinji...why isn't Asuka on here? She lives here too doesn't she?" asked Shikaku, mildly surprised.  
  
"We never got around to changing it I suppose." said Shinji as he looked at his cousin in a different light. Who knew he had family other than his father? 'Father knew... He would have known... Why couldn't I have just lived with them?' he thought, setting the knife down to go stir the miso soup.  
  
"Well, I'll help you out Shinji!" said Shikaku brightly. "Since Misato's busy with work, I'll help you out!"  
  
Shinji wanted to yell 'Thank you!' and hug his cousin tightly, but he fought off the thought. "That would be nice Shikaku. Thank you."  
  
"It's not a problem. I did most of the work at my own house anyway, so I'm used to it."  
  
"I see..." muttered Shinji. 'Is that how she got so sick? Or...maybe it has to do with that dream I had earlier...' he thought as he tested the soup before returning to the stir fry.  
  
"Do you need any help Shinji?" asked Shikaku as she edged her way into the kitchen.  
  
"Sure!" said Shinji as he smiled at his cousin happily. "I normally have tea, so if you want some, feel free to make that. Other than that, can you set the table please? The plates are in that cupboard and the silverware over there." he said as he pointed to a cupboard above the sink, and a small drawer under and to the left of the sink.  
  
"Okay!" said Shikaku as she happily began pulling down four plates and setting them on the wooden table gently at each chair. Then walking over to the drawer and opening it, she noticed nothing was organized. The forks and spoons were everywhere, getting mixed up, and the chopsticks were strewn all over the place.  
  
"Something wrong Shikaku?" asked Shinji as he noticed the appalled look on her face.  
  
"How can your apartment be so clean, yet this drawer is a hazard area?!" said Shikaku as she gestured towards the interior of the drawer. Shinji leaned over to look and laughed before looking at his cousin's stern look.  
  
"Misato and Asuka normally fish around in there and never put anything back. I gave up on fixing it every time they did that after two weeks of repulsive reorganizing." he said, smiling slightly as he remembered the huge scene that had followed...  
  
**- Flashback -**  
  
_ "Misato! What the hell are you doing?!" yelled Shinji angrily as he walked into the kitchen, intending to start dinner only to find Misato rummaging within the silverware drawer.  
  
"Looking for some chopsticks." said Misato in an offhand tone of voice. "Ah! Here they are!" she said as she triumphantly held a pair of chopsticks up and closed the drawer with a push of her hip.  
  
"Misato! Do you have any idea how long it took me to organize that drawer?!" yelled Shinji, clutching his head in pain, the expression on his face making it seem as if he was going to be sick from watching the drawer being mauled by Misato in her search of chopsticks.  
  
"You are a very compulsive cleaner you know Shinji. Loosen up once in awhile!" said Misato as she shook her finger at Shinji before she heard a small timer go off. "My ramen!" she said happily as she quickly grabbed the large steaming bowl of ramen, poured some of the instant curry she had made and began to eat.  
  
"I thought it was Shinji's turn to cook." said Asuka as she too entered the kitchen to see Shinji frozen in the doorway with a pained and horrified expression on his face and Misato happily slurping away at her ramen.  
  
"Nope." said Misato thickly through a mouthful of ramen before swallowing the large bite. "It's actually my turn to cook tonight." Gesturing towards the chart taped to the wall, Asuka followed Misato's gesture with her gaze only to see the chart saying 'Monday – Cooking – Misato'  
  
"Oh for the love of God..." muttered Asuka as she slapped herself in the forehead. Looking at Shinji, she sighed heavily. "What are we going to do for food? We can't trust her cooking..."  
  
"I HEARD THAT!" yelled Misato, brandishing her chopsticks at Asuka who backed into Shinji to avoid the chopsticks that were coated in a thick sludge of Misato's combination of instant curry and ramen broth.  
  
"IYAH! GET THAT AWAY FROM ME!" screamed Asuka. Misato obliged and resumed her slurping of her ramen, watching Shinji and Asuka out of the corner of her eyes.  
  
"Well, I made enough curry for you two if you want. There's also some rice in the rice cooker if you want some of that." said Misato quietly, setting her ramen down to take a long draft from her beer.  
  
"Umm...I think I'll PASS Misato..." said Asuka as she looked at Shinji and blushed slightly. She had backed up so far that hips were pushed against Shinji, and he had his hands on her waist to keep her from falling.  
  
"Well, if you change your mind, it's on the stove. And don't worry about it going bad. It'll keep and keep and keep." said Misato as she grinned evilly, making the two Pilots shudder visibly.  
_  
**- End Flashback -**  
  
"Shinji, what's so funny?" asked Shikaku as she watched her cousin double over laughing as he remembered that small scenario that had happened less than a month ago.  
  
"Just something I remembered about WHY I had given up on this drawer ever being organized." said Shinji as he smiled happily. "If you want to attempt organizing it, I have no complaints what so ever."  
  
"Okay!" said Shikaku as she rolled up her sleeves and began to reorganize the drawer while Shinji finished up dinner.  
  
----------------------  
  
"Asuka, Misato! Dinner's ready!" called Shinji from the kitchen as he set the pot of miso soup on the table along with the wok filled with stir fry. Shikaku had just finished re-organizing the silverware drawer and was quickly placing a set of chopsticks and a spoon at each place.  
  
"Thank you for helping me Shikaku." said Shinji as he took off the apron, hanging it on a small hook that was located in a corner next to PenPen's refrigerator.  
  
"It's not a problem Shinji. I'm glad I could help!" said Shikaku happily.  
  
Dashing over to the other refrigerator, Shinji pulled out a fish and a beer setting the fish in PenPen's bowl and the beer besides it. Knocking on the door of the refrigerator PenPen lived in; he waited for PenPen to open the door. "Dinner's ready PenPen."  
  
A small noise was made by PenPen, obviously meaning 'Thank you' and Shinji watched as the penguin began to eat his fish before turning around to see Misato and Asuka entering the kitchen.  
  
"It smells great Shinji!" said Misato as she inhaled deeply, letting the light aroma of the food become registered in her brain before she sat down. Popping the tab on her beer, she took a long draft from it before setting it down.  
  
Asuka sat down next to Shinji like always and smiled at him. Shinji returned the smile, but as he was about to sit down, he remembered something. "WAH! The tea! I forgot about the tea!" he yelled, suddenly remembering. Just as he was about to run into the kitchen, he saw Shikaku coming out with two mugs, a kettle of tea, and a soda for Asuka.  
  
"Shinji, sit down. I said I would make the tea, so don't worry okay?" said Shikaku as she placed the kettle on a small pot holder on the table and set Asuka's soda next to her plate. Sitting down, she placed the two mugs down and poured the tea for herself and Shinji.  
  
"Well, it seems as if Shikaku is used to doing this. Looks like your work is cut out for you Shinji." said Misato with a wink.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Shinji, a puzzled expression on his face.  
  
"You need to keep her on her toes. Keep your place as top dog of the kitchen right?" laughed Misato.  
  
"Misato...please..." muttered Shinji as he buried his face in his hands.  
  
"I was kidding Shinji! Lighten up a little! You'll always be our little kitchen guru. Right Asuka?" said Misato as she looked at the Second Child.  
  
"Of course!" said Asuka as she realized she was supposed to agree. Wrapping her arms around him in an awkward hug, she kissed the top of his head. "You'll always be my little cook Shinji."  
  
"You don't have to be sarcastic Asuka." said Shinji quietly.  
  
"Who said I was?" asked Asuka, withdrawing her arms and looking offended.  
  
"I was joking." said Shinji as he winked at her and began serving dinner.  
  
_'Maybe this will be good for Shinji. If Shikaku stays here, she'll end up doing some of the work, and Shinji will realize that he needs to become a man... That'll please Asuka.'_ thought Misato as she watched Shinji pouring the miso soup into their bowls while Shikaku served the stir fry.  
  
----------------------  
  
"Commander, what do you plan to do?" asked Fuyutsuki as he looked at the Commander. Commander Ikari had just finished a meeting with the U.N. and had been warned about not going over his budget for the Evangelions and NERV faculty.  
  
"We need to find that girl no matter what. Any idea on where she is?"  
  
"We're currently trying to trace the calls going in and out of the Yagahashii residence to locate her Commander."  
  
"Good. Find her as quickly as possible. This cannot wait any longer." said Gendou as he stood up and turned to leave, only to find Fuyutsuki standing in his way.  
  
"Commander, why do we need this girl? Isn't there some other way to go about doing this?" asked Fuyutsuki quietly.  
  
"No. There is no other way. We need this girl solely for the fact that she is the Angel of Fire." said Gendou calmly, as if this were something he discussed with people often.  
  
"Why can't we find someone else to do it?" asked Fuyutsuki, trying to find out why the Commander wanted this girl so badly.  
  
"Fuyutsuki, don't pry into what you shouldn't know at the moment." said Gendou furiously. "You will know why in time. Now, if you would kindly step out of my way, I have much work to do."  
  
"Of course Commander. My apologies Commander." said Fuyutsuki as he bowed slightly and stepped out of Gendou's path. As he watched Gendou quickly walk down the hallway and disappear as he turned around a corner, he began to wonder what the reason Gendou wanted this girl so badly was. As he too headed back to his office, his mind began to wander...  
  
**- Flashback -**  
  
_ "Commander, are you sure Rei can handle it?" asked Fuyutsuki through the small video intercom.  
  
"She isn't dead yet."  
  
"Yes Commander." He then typed in a code for Rei's hospital room. "Wake up Rei. The Commander wishes to speak with her."  
  
"Yes Mr. Fuyutsuki."  
  
Fuyutsuki then turned off the video screen and returned his gaze to the control room. All of the technicians were typing away furiously, trying to figure out how to stop the Angel from attacking. He knew Rei wouldn't be able to handle it... Not after that accident with Unit 00.  
  
"Fuyutsuki! Look! Unit 01 broke its restraints!" came a female voice from one end of the room.  
  
"What did you say?!"  
  
"Unit 01 broke its restraints!" came another voice.  
  
"How?! There's no entry plug!" yelled Fuyutsuki.  
  
"We don't know! But, that boy...that's Commander Ikari's son isn't it?!"  
  
"Yes..." said Fuyutsuki before sitting in his hair, scratching his head. "That's Shinji alright..." he muttered.  
  
"He's going to pilot Unit 01!"  
  
"Will he be able to?"  
  
"Activate entry plug!"  
  
"Initiating LCL to fill the entry plug!"  
  
All the while numerous voices rang throughout the room, Fuyutsuki wasn't paying attention. He was remembering the day he had that talk with Yui. He could remember little Shinji pointing and laughing at a dragonfly before imitating his mother and sticking his tongue out at him. He chuckled lightly as he remembered Shinji's expression when he did that. But then...that horrible accident...and Yui...  
  
"Commander! You came just in time!" came a voice as a door to Fuyutsuki's left opened.  
  
"Ah! Commander!" said Fuyutsuki as he quickly jumped out of the chair and saluted as Gendou took his seat in the chair Fuyutsuki had just been in. He watched as Misato ran in and began giving orders.  
  
"What's the status of Unit 01?" asked Gendou calmly.  
  
"Unit 01's just taken serious damage to the cranial armor!"  
  
"It's now silent Major! What do we do?!" came a yell from the right.  
  
"Wait... It's reactivating! But how?!"  
  
"How horrible..." whispered Fuyutsuki as he watched the berserk EVA fight the Angel in downtown Tokyo 3.  
  
"At least it's destroying the Angel. That's all that matters." said Gendou calmly.  
  
"The Angel's going to self destruct!"  
  
"SHINJI!" screamed Misato. The entire room watched as the Angel self destructed, taking the Evangelion into the blow with it. As the explosion subsided, they watched as Unit 01 slowly walked out of the destruction behind it.  
  
"We did it! Shinji did it!" cried Misato happily as she hugged Ritsuko who had run into the room a minute earlier.  
  
"We did it Commander." said Fuyutsuki as he smiled. He knew there was something special about Shinji, but he couldn't put his finger on it.  
  
"Yes. Now go calculate the damage to Unit 01 and start the repairs." said Gendou as he stood up.  
  
"What about the boy?"  
  
"Do what is necessary. Make him a part of NERV." said Gendou before walking out of the room.  
  
"Yes Commander..." said Fuyutsuki as he saluted and began giving orders to retrieve the Pilot, hospitalize him and start the repairs on Unit 01.  
_  
**- End Flashback -**  
  
"Mr. Fuyutsuki!" came a voice from the doorway. Fuyutsuki looked up to see a Section Two agent standing there, saluting to him.  
  
"Yes? What is it?"  
  
"The Commander wishes you to become in charge of NERV while he is away on a business meeting."  
  
"As always, of course I will." said Fuyutsuki as he smirked slightly. As always, when things began to become even the slightest bit uneasy around NERV, Gendou would always leave on a sudden business trip.  
  
"Thank you sir!" said the man from Section Two as he saluted again, turned on his heel and exited the office.  
  
----------------------  
  
"That was good!" sighed Misato as she leaned back in her chair and took a drink of her beer. "You two are great cooks."  
  
"Thank you." mumbled Shinji and Shikaku quietly, as if they both didn't want praise for their skill in cooking.  
  
"No, really. If you can fix anything Misato even starts to cook, you are a master." said Asuka as she grinned at Misato to show she was joking...at least partially.  
  
"I resent that!" said Misato as she stuck her tongue out at Asuka who returned the favor by sticking her tongue out at Misato. "At any rate, Asuka is partially right about that. I can't cook to save my life! ...Aside from ramen anyway."  
  
"Very funny Misato." muttered Asuka as she rested her chin on the palm of her hand, her eyes half closed. As Shinji started to stand up to clean off the table, Shikaku beat him and quickly cleaned off the table.  
  
"...Shikaku?" asked Shinji as he followed his cousin into the kitchen to see her already washing the dishes. "...What are you doing?"  
  
"Cleaning the dishes of course!" said Shikaku as she smiled brightly.  
  
"But...that's normally my job..." said Shinji quietly as he shuffled his foot.  
  
"Shinji, please. If you want to clean so badly, I'll let you clean tomorrow." she said with a wink. Judging by the confused look on his face, she sighed, turned off the water and turned to face him while drying her hands off on a small towel. "Shinji, I'm so used to cleaning the house for my family as you are. It must be something we have in our genes that we got from our mother's side."  
  
"R – right..."  
  
"So, while I'm staying here why don't you let me clean while you go ahead and do other things. I know you're always on alert for NERV, so why not take the time I'm staying with you to relax for once?"  
  
"But I really couldn't –"  
  
"Trust me. I'm perfectly fine with it. Now go do something else." said Shikaku as she smiled and turned the water back on, washing the dishes again.  
  
"Will you... I shouldn't..."  
  
"Shinji, don't worry! I'll be fine! Now go!" yelled Shikaku as she sprayed Shinji with water. As she watched him run from the room, soaking wet, she smiled to herself. 'There... Now he can spend more time with Asuka.'  
  
"Shinji, why are you all wet?" asked Misato, her eyebrow raised as she looked at him.  
  
"Yeah, what happened?" asked Asuka, setting her soda down while looking at him intently.  
  
"Shikaku sprayed me with water and yelled at me to get out of the kitchen and leave the cleaning to her..." said Shinji quietly, a hint of sadness in his voice as his gaze lowered to the floor.  
  
"Awww... Poor little Shinji!" said Misato in a mocking baby voice before bursting into a fit of laughter. Earning a glare from both Asuka and Shinji, she quickly stopped and cleared her throat loudly.  
  
"It's not that funny." said Asuka in a warning voice.  
  
"I know, I know. But that look on his face! It looks like he's in pain at the thought!" said Misato before laughing again.  
  
"Shut it Misato." said Asuka as she pushed her superior off her chair and watched as she fell to the floor with a loud 'thud'. "Now that's funny." said Asuka as she began to laugh, also getting Shinji to laugh as Misato pulled herself up to her feet.  
  
"THAT'S NOT FUNNY!" yelled Misato.  
  
"What's going on in here?" said Shikaku as she came walking into the room.  
  
"Asuka pushed me off my chair!" whined Misato.  
  
"BE AN ADULT AND SUCK UP!" yelled Asuka.  
  
"Umm... Asuka? I don't think you should be talking to Misato like that... She is our superior... She could demote you so you can't pilot –"  
  
"I know what I'm doing Shinji. And besides, how could she demote me? The Commander would be very pissed off wouldn't he?" said Asuka, looking at Misato innocently.  
  
"Yeah...he would...and then I would be demoted..." said Misato after some hard thinking. "Anyway, off to bed all of you!"  
  
"Yes ma'Am." said Shikaku as she bowed and quickly left the room, sliding the door to Shinji's room shut.  
  
"...My, isn't she obedient?" said Asuka in a slightly mocking tone as she put her hands on her hips and sighed heavily.  
  
"Not obedient... Okay, maybe she is... But she's still much better behaved than you are Asuka!" yelled Misato.  
  
"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!"  
  
"Asuka...I think we should go to bed now..." said Shinji quietly as he smiled slightly as his eyebrows rose. He had never seen Asuka and Misato bicker like this. Of course they had their little moments were they would glare at each other and shoot smart remarks at one another, but they never bickered like this.  
  
"Yeah. Let's go Shinji." said Asuka as she took Shinji's hand in her rather roughly and turned on her heel. "One more thing Misato..."  
  
"And what would that be?" snarled Misato, her brow furrowed.  
  
"Misato and Kaji sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G..." sang Asuka, but before she could finish her song, Misato lunged at her, ready to kill...or at least severely hurt. "IYAH! RUN SHINJI!" screamed Asuka after barely avoiding Misato and noticing the murderous glare she was given.  
  
"Y – yeah..." said Shinji as he was dragged across the living room to Asuka's room, the door sliding shut behind him.  
  
"YOU BETTER WATCH YOURSELF ASUKA!" yelled Misato before stomping off to her room. "Stupid teenagers..." she muttered as she slid her door shut.  
  
Shikaku, lying on Shinji's bed, her face directed towards the wall had heard everything. Rolling onto her back, she stared at the ceiling. "...It's an unfamiliar ceiling..." she whispered before she dozed off into a calm sleep.  
  
----------------------  
  
_Author's note: Yay! Eleven pages! Go me! Anyway, I knew I took Shinji's quote of "it's an unfamiliar ceiling" but I had to! How else do you really explain how they feel? Also, instead of posting a stupid author's note and "not following the rules" as my friend Khalid likes to yell at me about, I'm letting you know I am grounded off the internet for God knows how long. Hopefully I'll get my internet back soon, but I'll still be stuck with dial-up. Sorry! –sob- Don't forget to review! -- Nagi  
  
Any questions, comments, ideas, etc. are welcome at:_


	26. A Day on the Town

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.  
  
_Author's note: Well, my dad was nice and let me online while he takes my mom out to dinner. I started and finished this chapter today, and it's still ten pages long! Yay for me! =D I really hope you like this chapter!_  
  
----------------------  
  
Title: Until the Day I Die

Chapter title: A Day on the Town

By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)  
  
----------------------  
  
The next morning Shinji awoke to find Asuka curled up in his arms, one hand on his chest and the other by her slightly open mouth. He smiled as he watched her, her eyelashes fluttering slightly as the sun began to creep through the open window. It was a Sunday, so they didn't have school that day. No school, meant tons of time to be alone and goof off. That is...unless an Angel decided to attack which he hoped it didn't. After a few more moments of watching Asuka, he slowly withdrew his arms and rolled over before standing up so as not to awaken her.  
  
_'Now let's see... I need to make breakfast...but before that I need to take a shower...'_ he thought to himself as he reached for his change of clothing. Just as he picked it up, he wondered why he had grabbed his school uniform instead of his shorts and orange t-shirt he normally wore on the weekends. Gathering the clothing, he tiptoed out of the room and quietly slid the door shut behind him.  
  
_ '...Maybe I should go grab some different clothes really fast...'_ he thought before remembering that his cousin was in his room. _'Oh well. We're family...I have an excuse anyway!'_  
  
Padding over to his room, he gently knocked on the door but heard no answer. Sliding it open slightly, he found it to be empty. Stepping into his room, he quickly hung his uniform back up and set a pair of khaki shorts and his orange t-shirt onto his bed and left the room after grabbing a towel. On his way to the bathroom to take a shower, he didn't notice who was already in the kitchen...  
  
----------------------  
  
_'Ah, I feel much better now.'_ he thought as he emerged from his room fully clothed and stretched.  
  
"Shinji, hurry up!" called Misato from the kitchen.  
  
"Coming!" he said as he quickly made his way through the living room and into the kitchen. "What is it Misato?"  
  
"Time for breakfast!" said Misato as she smiled widely at him. His confused look made her laugh and she felt that he should have an explanation. "Shikaku got up around six o'clock this morning to start breakfast for us."  
  
"But...that's when I got up!" exclaimed Shinji.  
  
"Yeah, but you were in the shower." said Asuka as she came into the room and yawned loudly. "I heard the water running."  
  
"See? You didn't have to cook today Shinji!" said Misato, trying to get him to look at the positives. "Now that Shikaku's here, you'll have more time to spend with Asuka."  
  
"I – I guess..." he stammered as he blushed slightly. Asuka laughed a little and sat down at the table, beckoning for him to sit next to her. As he slowly sat down next to her, he began to get the feeling Misato was planning something.  
  
_'Uh-oh... That look on his face...he's on to me...'_ thought Misato as she began to mentally panic while she drank her beer. "Don't worry Shinji. I'm sure you'll have your job of cooking and cleaning back soon enough."  
  
_ 'I hope to God you're right...'_ thought Shinji miserably. "I know Misato. She's only staying here until we find out what's going on at NERV right?"  
  
"Exactly." said Misato as she set down her beer and looked at Asuka. "Besides, I think Asuka's a little uncomfortable with her here. Isn't that right Asuka?"  
  
"Wha – what do you mean by that?!" yelled Asuka, her cheeks flushing slightly as she looked at Misato indignantly.  
  
"Oh, nothing really." said Misato as she smiled slightly and looked at Asuka slyly.  
  
"I'm so sure..." muttered Asuka, her cheeks and neck burning.  
  
"Breakfast is ready!" said an extremely cheerful Shikaku as he came out carrying a large pot of steaming rice. Setting the pot down on the table, she ran back into the kitchen, emerging with a large plate of fish she had fried in the wok.  
  
"Did you give PenPen his fish and beer?" asked Misato suddenly.  
  
"Of course." said Shikaku as she smiled and started to serve the food to everyone. Finally sitting down herself, she looked at Shinji. "Something wrong Shinji?"  
  
"Huh? Oh! No, everything's fine." said Shinji as he smiled weakly.  
  
"Are you _so_ sure about that?" asked Asuka, her eyebrows raised.  
  
"I think I know what's wrong with him." said Misato calmly as she began to eat her food. "He misses his job."  
  
"Job? What job?" asked Shikaku.  
  
"He misses being able to cook. He thinks that's all he's good at. But we all know that's not true!" said Misato as she smiled and ruffled Shinji's hair.  
  
"Yeah, you're a great Pilot Shinji. Not as good as me, but you're still a great Pilot." said Asuka as she smiled.  
  
"Thanks guys..." said Shinji as he began to eat. "Shikaku...this is really good. Where did you learn to cook like this?"  
  
"Oh, didn't I tell you? I lived in Germany for a few years and after I graduated high school there, I went to cooking school." said Shikaku.  
  
"EH?! You lived in Germany?!" shrieked Asuka as she stood up, knocking her chair over.  
  
"Yeah...why? You didn't live there too did you?"  
  
"YES!" said Asuka. "I just moved here last year! What year did you graduate? From what school?"  
  
"I think it was...2014... Yeah, that sounds about right. And I graduated from Muten High." said Shikaku as she smiled.  
  
"No way... That's when I graduated...AND where I graduated from!" cried Asuka, shocked she never had seen Shikaku at school before.  
  
"Really? Wow. I never knew that. I think I heard the name Asuka Langley Souryu during graduation...but I'm not sure." said Shikaku as he placed her right index finger on her cheek, as if in deep thought.  
  
"I never heard your name...but then again, I think I left right after I got my diploma..." said Asuka as she picked up her chair and sat down.  
  
"Well, this is certainly a turn of events!" said Misato as she looked at Shinji, unsure of what to do. One minute Asuka and Shikaku had absolutely nothing in common, and the next they're both talking about graduating from German high school in the same year!  
  
"Yeah...it is..." said Shinji as he continued to eat, staring blankly off into space.  
  
For the remainder of breakfast, Asuka and Shikaku happily chatted about German schools and what it was like for them to live there. Misato paid attention, learning quite a bit about the culture there, but Shinji continued to stare off into space.  
  
"Well, good thing you two started talking about Germany!" said Misato happily. "I have to go there for a few days next week."  
  
"For what?" asked Shinji, snapping out of his trance.  
  
"NERV stuff. Not too big. Ritsuko and I are going to speak to the designers of Unit 02 and see if there's anything about it we should know about what it's capable of." said Misato in an off-hand tone of voice.  
  
"Really?!" said Asuka, her eyes twinkling in delight. "Can I come?"  
  
"I'm sorry Asuka, but you can't. Strictly for Ritsuko and I." said Misato.  
  
"That's no fair!" whined Asuka.  
  
"I know, I know. But look at the bright side. You'll be out of school before I have to leave anyway."  
  
"Oh yeah! Shikaku, you REALLY need to come to school..." said Shinji.  
  
"She can't." said Misato flatly as she set her beer down.  
  
"Why not?" asked Shinji, confusion etched on his face.  
  
"Section Two is most likely monitoring the school attendance. If she goes to school, they'll know she's somewhere else now."  
  
"But...it could still be that she's better now!" said Shinji.  
  
"It doesn't matter. I'm sure Section Two already knows she's not at her house anymore." said Misato seriously. "And once they find out where's she's at, all of our asses are on the line."  
  
"...Aren't our asses always on the line though?" asked Asuka.  
  
"...That's true..." said Misato as she realized they were. "Anyway, that's beside the point! She's already graduated, so it doesn't really matter now does it?"  
  
"It's okay with me." said Shikaku as she began to clear the table. "Besides, I'd rather not go back to school and have to face all of those questions from the other students anyway..."  
  
"See? She's fine with it!" said Misato happily.  
  
"Yeah...I see that..." said Shinji quietly.  
  
"Hey Shinji. Why don't we go out today?" suggested Asuka, trying to lift his spirits a little.  
  
"Go where though?"  
  
"I don't know. The park, the movies... The mall...I don't know! Let's just go somewhere okay?"  
  
"Alright." said Shinji as he stood up and reached for his plate before he got his hand smacked by Shikaku.  
  
"Shinji, you go have fun. I'll take care of this." she said in a serious voice before smiling at him.  
  
"Okay..." said Shinji as Asuka drug him to the front door. "See you later then I guess."  
  
"Yup. See you later!" said Shikaku and Misato as they smiled and waved to Shinji and Asuka. They watched them put on their shoes and then dash down the hallway, Asuka mostly dragging Shinji behind her before the door slid shut.  
  
"Well then." said Misato as she drained the last of her beer and stood up. "I have to go to work Shikaku. You just make yourself at home. And don't answer the phone or the door no matter what."  
  
"Okay Misato. I won't answer the phone or the door." said Shikaku as she bowed. "Umm...what is there to do around here though?"  
  
"Well, cleaning..." said Misato with a wink. "Also, there are a few video games...I think Shinji bought a copy of Final Fantasy X a while ago...and there should be a few other games. There's the television...we have a few movies over there...and then there are books as well." she said as she pointed to a small bookcase with a few movies, video games and books.  
  
"Okay, thank you so much Misato!" said Shikaku as she bowed.  
  
"It's really not a problem. Oh, and make sure PenPen doesn't sneak into the bath either. He'll be in there all day if you don't catch him..." said Misato as she headed off to her room to get changed. Once Misato had come out of her room in her usual outfit, she said good-bye to Shikaku and slipped her shoes on before leaving for work.  
  
"Well, I guess I had better finish cleaning the kitchen..." said Shikaku as she rolled her sleeves up and marched into the kitchen.  
  
----------------------  
  
A half hour later, Shikaku emerged from the kitchen after her relentless cleaning attack on it. The counters, sink and stove all gleamed, as well as the plates and silverware. She was very proud of it. She had never been able to get the kitchen in her own home that clean. Heading into the living room, she began to look at what movies they had.  
  
"Oh my God... They actually have this movie?!" she cried happily as she pulled the movie "Shall We Dance?" off the shelf. Happily walking over to the television, she turned it on as well as the VCR and popped the movie in. Heading back into the kitchen, she quickly made herself a cup of steaming Chinese tea and settled in a chair to watch the movie just as the previews ended.  
  
----------------------  
  
"So, what should we do?" asked Asuka as she walked down the street, holding Shinji's hand.  
  
"I don't know. What do you want to do?" asked Shinji quietly.  
  
"I don't know! That's why I asked you!" said Asuka loudly, getting slightly frustrated.  
  
"I'm sorry..." mumbled Shinji as he hung his head. Sighing, Asuka turned around to hug him.  
  
"It's not your fault. And you need to stop apologizing for everything you know?" she said as she gently touched his cheek with her fingertips.  
  
"I know..." said Shinji as he looked up into her bright blue eyes that were twinkling slightly.  
  
"Good." said Asuka as she released him from her embrace and held his hand once again.  
  
"Asuka, what do you want to do?" asked Shinji as he smiled.  
  
"I don't know. And why are you asking me anyway?"  
  
"The lady should choose what to do you know?" he said.  
  
"...You really are quite the gentleman!" said Asuka happily as she kissed his cheek quickly amid stares from passerby. "Oops...I forgot..."  
  
"Forgot what?"  
  
"The fact that it's 'inappropriate' to express feelings for someone outside of home..." she said as she looked away and blushed. Shinji blinked; he was surprised she knew that about Japanese culture.  
  
"Don't worry about it. Now, what do you say we go get some pocky and walk around? You get to choose the flavor."  
  
"Sounds good to me!" said Asuka happily as she held onto his arm while they walked down the street and headed for the candy store.  
  
----------------------  
  
"Touji...what do you think happened to Shinji?" said Kensuke as he stared at a wall absentmindedly.  
  
"I don't know..." said Touji in a dull voice while he ate another one of his takoyaki. Kensuke slowly unwrapped a piece of gum before popping it into his mouth and blowing a bubble.  
  
"I haven't seen Shikaku anywhere either..."  
  
"I'm not stupid you know Kensuke! I notice things!" yelled Touji, swallowing his takoyaki to look at Kensuke furiously.  
  
'That's news to me...' thought Kensuke as he blew another bubble with his gum. "Alright, so what do you want to do? We can't sit around here watching game shows all day...AGAIN!"  
  
"We didn't watch them all day yesterday!" said Touji indignantly. He knew his little addiction to game shows was getting out of control, but he didn't want to admit it.  
  
"Okay... Then what the hell do you call watching reruns of game shows from last month for SEVENTEEN HOURS?!" yelled Kensuke.  
  
"I don't know. A prolonged event?" suggested Touji, shocking Kensuke both at his stupidity and his ability to use the word 'prolonged' correctly in a sentence.  
  
"Okay, no more game shows for you." said Kensuke as he grabbed the remote and turned the television off before Touji could complain. "Now, what would a jock like you want to do?"  
  
"Don't call me a jock you geek." muttered Touji.  
  
"Don't call me a geek then." retorted Kensuke as he stood up and stretched. "Get your shoes on. We're going out."  
  
"Not like _that_ I hope!" yelled Touji as he stood up, ready for a fight.  
  
"No, not like that you moron. As two guys who seriously need to get out of the house." said Kensuke as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and walked to the front door, slipping his shoes on.  
  
"Good. I don't want...never mind." said Touji as he blushed very slightly.  
  
"You don't want Hikari to think that you're gay right?" said Kensuke as he grinned. He knew he had Touji, and there was no comeback that Touji could come up with to beat that statement.  
  
"Shut it you." said Touji as he punched Kensuke in the arm, hard enough to cause pain, but not as hard as he normally would.  
  
"Alright then, let's go!" said Kensuke as he rubbed his arm slightly and headed out the door, Touji following him.  
  
"Where to?" asked Touji, acting like a cab driver.  
  
"I don't know. Let's go get some junk food and then walk around annoying people."  
  
"Alright. Good enough for me."  
  
----------------------  
  
"So, now what?" asked Asuka as she munched on a piece of strawberry pocky. They had bought three boxes of strawberry pocky for themselves and a box of chocolate pocky for Misato and Shikaku.  
  
"I don't know." said Shinji as he munched on his own piece of pocky. It was a warm summer's day, the sky was a crystal clear blue with very few clouds. He watched a bird fly overhead, on its way to the park.  
  
"It's really warm out, isn't it?" asked Asuka as she took off her thin, light blue button down t-shirt she was wearing over her black tank top. Slinging it over one arm and grabbed another piece of pocky from the box Shinji was holding and shoved it into her mouth.  
  
"Yeah, it is..." said Shinji as he looked at the sky, holding a hand over his eyes to shield them from the bright sunlight. "Wanna go to the park?"  
  
"Sure, why not. There really isn't anything else to do is there?" said Asuka as she held his hand and began walking down the street.  
  
"Not really." said Shinji quietly as he walked down the street with Asuka, swinging their intertwined hands back and forth slightly. As Asuka reached over to grab another piece of pocky, her breasts rubbed against his arm slightly, causing him to blush a crimson red.  
  
"Shinji, what's up? Your face is all red." asked Asuka as she chewed on her pocky.  
  
"N – nothing's wrong Asuka. Nothing at all." he said as he laughed a little bit and looked away.  
  
_ 'Okay, Shinji. Go ahead and be all modest...I know why you're blushing...'_ thought Asuka as she smiled to herself.  
  
"Hey, look who it is!" called out a voice from behind them.  
  
"It's Shinji and Asuka!" came another voice. Turning around, Shinji and Asuka came face to face with Kensuke and Touji.  
  
"Hey guys." said Shinji as he smiled.  
  
"Hey yourself. Why haven't you been over at all?" asked Kensuke as he popped another piece of gum into his mouth.  
  
"Yeah, why not?" asked Touji as he popped another takoyaki into his mouth as he spoke.  
  
"I've been...really busy... You know...with NERV and all..." said Shinji as he fought for an answer. He couldn't tell them about Shikaku being his cousin, or what had happened which resulted in Shikaku living with him, Asuka and Misato.  
  
"Uh-huh..." said Kensuke, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose again.  
  
"Sure. Really busy. We get you." said Touji as he winked at Shinji.  
  
"No, he has been really busy at NERV! I have been too! Do you have any idea how many synch tests we have to have?!" yelled Asuka, her temper rising. No one could taunt her boyfriend...except herself and Misato anyway.  
  
"All right, we get you." said Kensuke and Touji in unison, backing away slightly.  
  
"Good." said Asuka as she exhaled, her temper ebbing away.  
  
"Hey, we were just about to go to the park. Want to come?" suggested Shinji, while giving Asuka a glance saying that he didn't want his friends to think he didn't want to be seen with them anymore.  
  
"Yeah! It'll be fun you guys. What do you say?" asked Asuka, quickly catching on.  
  
"Sure, why not. It'll be good for Touji at any rate." said Kensuke as he grinned and thwacked Touji in the back firmly.  
  
"What do you mean?" asked Shinji.  
  
"He's been watching game shows non-stop for the last seventeen hours."  
  
"Again? Touji, you really need to stop doing that. Game shows start to mess with your mind after awhile. I had a dream I was on one too..." said Shinji, laughing about the dream he had had a few months ago.  
  
_'What he needs is a life...'_ thought Asuka. "Anyway, let's go! It's not going to be day light all day you know!" she exclaimed as she turned around and drug Shinji off towards the park.  
  
"...It's nine A.M..." said Kensuke as he watched the two run off. "Wait for us!" he called as he looked at Touji before running off.  
  
"Get back here!" yelled Touji as he quickly shut his takoyaki box and ran after his friends.  
  
----------------------  
  
_Author's note: I thought I should bring Touji and Kensuke back into the story a little since I think most of you were wondering where they disappeared to. I don't know if Tokyo 3 even HAS a park, or if Touji has a problem with watching game shows or not. Anyway, I thought it was funny and that's all that counts right? ...Okay, maybe not. Don't forge to review! – Nagi  
  
Any and all ideas or comments are welcome at: _


	27. Touji and Hikari?

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.

Secondary disclaimer: I do not own Inu Yasha or Naruto. Inu Yasha and Co. belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I'm not too sure who owns Naruto and Co. seeing as I don't have the manga or anything to be able to see who it belongs to! –sob- Ah well...we all can't have what we want right?

_Author's note: Again, I am so sorry for not updating! I'm probably ungrounded by now, but our phone got disconnected, so I couldn't even use dial-up to get online, so I'm using the library for now. I'll make sure to update more frequently once my internet gets turned back on, so that I can make up for the long wait! Also, thanks to Danny for letting me know about my little mistake in the last chapter, but that's fixed now. I also didn't know that Misato already knew about German culture, so my bad. Anyway, here's chapter twenty-seven of "Until the Day I Die"!_

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Title: Until the Day I Die

Chapter title: Touji and Hikari?

By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)

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"So...what do you two love-birds plan to do here anyway?" said Touji as he sat down on a bench under a large oak tree and began eating his takoyaki again.

"I don't know. We could always annoy people." suggested Kensuke as he, too, sat down.

"I don't think so." said Asuka, shooting Kensuke a very disgusted look. "We're here to have fun, not to be annoying."

"But being annoying is fun!" yelled Kensuke and Touji in unison, getting numerous annoyed looks from passerby.

"Like right now. We just annoyed several people by yelling, and it feels great!" said Kensuke as she pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Are all guys like this?" muttered Asuka in Shinji's ear.

"Not all guys. Just strange ones...like these two." he whispered back.

"Strange?" she asked quietly, giving Shinji a puzzled look.

"Trust me. If you ever saw Kensuke playing 'War Hero' in a field at sunset, you'd know what I'm talking about." Shinji muttered.

"Ah, I got it." she said before turning towards Kensuke and Touji. "How's Hikari been?"

"I don't know. Haven't seen her outside of class...even then she won't talk to me." said Touji, a saddened expression spreading across his features.

"Oh, she'll talk to you again. She's just severely pissed off at you for what you were thinking of regarding these two." said Kensuke, pointing at Shinji and Asuka.

"What were you thinking of that concerned us?" asked Shinji.

"Oh, it was uh...it was nothing." said Touji quickly as he looked away.

"Tell us..." hissed Asuka.

"He thought you two doing 'the ultimate commitment'." said Kensuke happily, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet.

"You WHAT?!" yelled Shinji and Asuka in unison; both shooting Touji a look that was a mix between horror and fury.

"Thanks a lot big mouth." muttered Touji as he punched Kensuke in the arm rather hard.

"You're welcome." said Kensuke, as he rubbed his arm and retreated to a safe distance to watch, a big grin still planted on his face.

"HOW COULD YOU THINK THAT?!" screamed Asuka, her face turning red.

"Touji, you should know me better than that." said Shinji sadly.

"Shinji and I...having sex?! ARE YOU INSANE?!" yelled Asuka, blushing at the thought.

"I thought I told you I was going to wait..." mumbled Shinji.

"But I... It was only a joke you guys!" spluttered Touji.

"JOKE MY ASS!" yelled Asuka as she kicked him in the shins as hard as she could, causing him to yell in pain.

"What was that for?!" yelled Touji as he rubbed his shins.

"For being a jackass." replied Asuka scathingly.

"Asuka, isn't that going a bit far?" said Shinji quietly.

"No, I don't think so. Why? Afraid I'll hurt your moronic friend?"

"We all know Touji's an idiot –"

"I TAKE OFFENSE TO THAT!" yelled Touji, before getting a stern look from Shinji.

"As I was saying... We all know he's an idiot, that's just how he is. But I don't think you needed to go and inflict physical damage on him..."

"Why? Don't you realize what he was THINKING about us?" said Asuka, her temper flaring.

"I know what he was thinking... But he's my friend..."

"I see..." said Asuka, her temper ebbing away.

"Besides, if ANYONE should have the right to inflict physical damage on him, it should be me." said Shinji happily, a wide grin on his face as he turned towards Touji.

"Shinji, what are you doing? Shinji? Aw, c'mon Shinji! It was a joke!" yelled Touji as Shinji pulled him off the bench before putting him in a headlock. "Ow! C'mon Shinji! That hurts!"

"I think that's the whole point." said Kensuke, finally deciding it was safe to return.

"Why you little –"Touji growled before grabbing Kensuke around the neck and strangling him.

"I...can't...BREATHE!" shouted Kensuke as Touji continued to strangle him while Shinji continued to hold Touji in a headlock.

"Boys never grow up no matter how old they get do they?" muttered Asuka to herself as she watched the three in amusement while several dignified men and women passed the four teenagers, shooting them all disgusted looks.

----------------------

"Well, look who showed up for work." said an amused Ritsuko as she caught up with Misato.

"Shut up." muttered Misato. She really didn't feel like listening to one of Ritsuko's 'well, well, well...' lectures.

"I certainly will not! You caused quite a stir when you left you know." said Ritsuko, following Misato into the Operation Director's office and shutting the door behind her.

"I'm aware of that Ritsuko." said Misato quietly as she sat at her desk and leaned back in her chair, her gaze directed towards the ceiling.

"Oh? Then you know that Commander Ikari left on some business too right?"

"He what?" spluttered Misato, almost falling out of her chair.

"He left for a business trip or something. He'll be gone for about two weeks at the most."

"Two weeks?! But, what about us going to Germany to find out more about Unit 02? We can't leave if the Commander isn't here!" yelled Misato.

"I know, I know... I brought it up with Fuyutsuki already." sighed Ritsuko, sitting on the edge of Misato's cluttered desk.

"What did he say?" pressed Misato, eager to find out if they were still going or not.

"He never gave me a direct answer. He said something about 'Not if the Angel's begin attacking...', and then he just left his office without another word."

"I see... I'll take that as a 'maybe'." said Misato, sighing heavily.

"Something on your mind?"

"No, not really. Just a little nervous as to whether or not we're going to be able to go to Germany to find out more about Unit 02 or not." said Misato, making up an excuse for what she was really nervous about. _'I hope Shikaku will be alright home alone...'_

"Don't worry about it. If we can't go next week, we can always go when the Commander is back." said Ritsuko, patting her friend on the shoulder lightly.

"Yeah, but what if an Angel attacks? We won't be able to leave for anything, and if Asuka finds out about her EVA...I don't think she'd ever forgive us...or Shinji either for that matter.'

"Don't talk like that Misato!" warned Ritsuko. "We'll just tell them when they're ready to know...if Commander Ikari ever gives us enough lean-way to do so."

"I doubt he ever will Ritsuko. The guy is so uptight about keeping secrets. I'm pretty sure that there are plenty of secrets around NERV not even Fuyutsuki knows about."

"I'm sure there are. But let's not get too carried away with trying to figure out what they are. Let's just stick to what we're supposed to do and hope for the best." said Ritsuko as she stood up and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" said Misato, wondering as to where her friend and co-worker needed to go so suddenly.

"Maya and I have to finish analyzing the sync rates from a few weeks ago."

"You two still aren't done with that? You're getting old Ritsuko." teased Misato with a wink.

"Not old, just tired. Late nights do take their toll on the human body whether you want to believe that or not Misato. See you later." said Ritsuko as she smiled and left the office, shutting the door behind her with a soft click.

"I do believe that." muttered Misato as she looked at all the unfinished paperwork around her. "I forgot I need to finish this all by tonight... I guess I'll be having a long night too Ritsuko." she groaned before reaching inside her desk, pulling out a pen and pulling the nearest stack of paperwork towards her.

----------------------

"Let's see...what else is there to do around here?" mused Shikaku quietly to herself as she slipped the movie back into its case, setting it back on the shelf beside the other movies.

_'There is always cleaning...'_ she thought as she scanned the movies. There were some traditional Japanese movies, like _'Shall We Dance'_, as well as some American movies including _'Mystery Men'_ and some anime; obviously Asuka's.

"Naruto? Inu Yasha? I've never heard of these before..." she said as she held up a Naruto tape in her left hand and an Inu Yasha tape in her right. "Maybe I'll give them a shot... It won't hurt anyone if Asuka doesn't know I watched them..."

Sighing, Shikaku gave in to her curiosity and popped the Inu Yasha tape and pressed 'play' on the remote before settling back in her chair. She was instantly mesmerized by the artwork and plot of the show and didn't notice that someone was knocking at the door...

----------------------

"Are you done fighting now, you morons?" said Asuka sarcastically, hiding her fury for being embarrassed so much in one day.

"Yes, I do believe we are." said Kensuke as he rubbed his neck and glared at Touji. "Thanks a lot dumbass."

"I'm not a dumbass, you little twerp." said Touji, shooting Kensuke a vicious glare, causing Kensuke to gulp visibly.

"You guys, let's just stop fighting okay?" said Shinji quietly, surprised Touji wasn't trying to kill him at that very moment.

"Yeah, alright. We'll stop fighting for you Shinji." said Touji as he grinned and winked to show he was kidding about the 'for you Shinji' comment.

"Good." said Asuka as she crossed her arms and sighed. "You all really need to get your act together you know?"

"What's your point?" asked Kensuke and Touji in unison while Asuka shook her head and Shinji sighed heavily.

"My point is that if you don't get your act together, you won't ever get to be with someone you dolt!" said Asuka, a bit more bluntly than wanted.

"Someone like, oh I don't know...Hikari?" said Kensuke slyly, eying Touji to see what his reaction was.

"I – I don't know what you're talking about! Why would I like Hikari?" said Touji, his cheeks barely flushing as he adverted his gaze to the ground.

"So you DO like her!" exclaimed Asuka, clapping her hands together.

"I never said that!" yelled Touji, looking up at Asuka angrily.

"Yes you do. Don't deny it Touji!" said Kensuke, clapping Touji on the back firmly. "You have since you first met!"

"No I didn't..." mumbled Touji, looking at the ground again, his cheeks a very slight pink tint.

"But you like her now right?" said Shinji, thoroughly enjoying himself, even if it was at his friend's expense.

"I don't know..." muttered Touji, shooting Shinji a look of great disapproval.

"Oh, you do and you know it!" said Asuka loudly, scoffing at his insecurity to tell anyone how he felt about Hikari. "Stop acting like a macho, insensitive jock and tell her how you feel!"

"You're one to talk Miss 'I'm the greatest Pilot alive!'" yelled Touji.

"Take that back!" screamed Asuka.

"What's going on here?" said a small female voice from behind Shinji. As Shinji turned around, he heard Touji choke on his spit as Hikari walked up to the small group. "Is something wrong Touji? Your face is kind of pink. Do you have a fever?"

"N – no, I'm fine." said Touji, looking to the side, trying to hide the fact that he really did like Hikari from Asuka, Shinji and Kensuke.

"Well, as long as you aren't ill that's good." said Hikari as she smiled happily. "But, what's going on? I heard a bunch of yelling and I decided to see what was going on."

"Just a little fight." said Asuka as she laughed and scratched the back of her neck.

"What about?" asked Hikari as she laid eyes on Touji. Shinji saw concern in her eyes, and knew that there was something between the two that no one else knew about.

"About how Touji needs to stop being a self-centered, egotistical jerk." said Asuka, nodding solemnly.

"Oh, I see..." said Hikari quietly. "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you all at school then. See you!"

"Hikari, wait!" said Touji suddenly, surprising everyone. "Er...what I meant was...why don't you hang out with us? It's a Saturday and we don't have much else to do...so...er..."

"That'd be really nice Touji." said Hikari, smiling happily. "So, what were you all planning to do?"

"Well, Touji and I came here to annoy people...which we've already done..." said Kensuke, trailing off under the murderous look Touji gave him.

"And we were just going to walk around the city a little." said Shinji as he smiled.

"I know! Let's go to the pool!" exclaimed Asuka happily.

"The pool? Is it even open?" said Touji.

"It should be. School's almost out for the summer, so it HAS to be open by now right?" said Asuka, hoping everyone would agree to going to the pool.

"I don't see why not." said Shinji. "We'd all have to go home and get our bathing suits though..."

"So, it's settled! We'll all go home and meet at the pool in...say an hour?" said Asuka, smiling widely.

"Sounds good!" said Kensuke while Touji nodded his approval.

"Okay. I'll meet with you all at the pool in an hour!" said Hikari before happily running off.

"Alright, see you all in an hour right?" said Shinji as he stood up and took Asuka's hand in his.

"Right. See you in an hour Shinji!" said Kensuke and Touji as they too stood up and headed for home to retrieve their bathing suits.

"So...what have you got planned Asuka?" asked Shinji slyly as he and Asuka headed for home as well.

"Nothing! What do you mean by that?"

"I just know that you're probably planning something."

"Something? What's that supposed to mean?" asked Asuka, in all innocence.

"Oh...something to do with getting Touji and Hikari together?"

"Maybe. You'll just have to see. But it's mostly so we can just go to the pool and have some fun! If we can push those two in the right direction, that'll just be a bonus!" she said, laughing evilly.

"Yeah, I guess we'll just have to see..." said Shinji as he sighed and looked up at the crystal blue sky.

----------------------

"I hate paperwork." muttered Misato as she placed the millionth paper she had filled out on another stack. "No...I don't hate it... I despise it with a freaking passion!"

"Talking to yourself again? That's not a very good sign Misato." came a male voice from the doorway. Misato looked up, her pen falling out of her hand and onto her desk.

"Kaji, what do you want?" she snarled, trying to remain calm. She couldn't kill him...at least not yet anyway.

"What? I'm not allowed to see you anymore?" said Kaji sadly as he walked over to her desk.

"If only it were true. What the hell do you want Kaji? I'm really busy here." said Misato, pulling another paper towards her and picking up her pen once again.

"I can see that. But I wanted to show you something."

"Show me...something? Look, I've already seen that a million ti –"

"No, not _that_ Misato. However, if you want to see it again, maybe I'll make some time for later." he said with a wink.

"Get your head out of the gutter and tell me what it is you want to show me so badly." said Misato, the control over her temper quickly crumbling.

"Follow me." said Kaji as he took her hand and led her out of her office and down the hallway.

"What the hell are you showing me?" hissed Misato, trying not to attract attention to herself.

"You'll see." said Kaji simply. As they headed down the hallway, they took a left and went down a few flights of stairs before ending up at the exit.

"An exit door? That's what you wanted to show me?" said Misato, her eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"No, it's what's on the outside of this door." said Kaji as he pushed it open and led Misato outside and into the distance. After walking in silence for about fifteen minutes, he stopped. "Here we are."

"A...watermelon patch? Kaji, what are you up to?"

"Nothing! I wanted to give you a watermelon from my very own patch." said Kaji as he smiled at Misato.

"Kaji, you could have just picked one and brought it to me. You really didn't have to drag me all the way out here to show me this."

"I know, but I wanted to show you it myself."

"You're up to something Kaji. I know you." said Misato as she frowned.

"I'm honored for you to figure out that much Misato." said Kaji as he smiled and bowed to her.

"What the hell are you planning?" yelled Misato.

"You'll find out soon enough." said Kaji as he picked the largest watermelon in the patch and pushed it into Misato's arms. "Take this home and give Shinji and Asuka my regards."

"Kaji... What are you planning?!"

"You'll find out soon enough my dear Misato. Now, I would head back to your office so that you don't get in trouble for leaving your post."

"I'll tell them you dragged me out here!" yelled Misato.

"Feel free to blame me, as it is my fault. I shall see you later." said Kaji as he smiled and walked back towards the NERV building.

"Kaji...what are you planning? Tell me..." whispered Misato as she held the watermelon and watched Kaji disappear into the distance.

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_Author's note: Okay, took me a little bit to write all that! I had to think of a lot of stuff to happen in order to make this chapter ten pages long as promised. Hope you liked it, and don't forget to review! – Nagi_

_Comments and ideas are always welcome at: _


	28. A Surprise for Touji

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.

Secondary disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha and Co., the attacks, etc. InuYasha and Co. belong to Rumiko Takahashi. But boy, if I could own that sexy silver haired hanyou I'd be so happy! –blush-

_Author's note: Okay, finally writing! Yay! I got a request to bring Hikari and Rei back into the story. Hikari is in here (obviously) and Rei will be in here somewhere. You'll just have to read and find out where! Have fun, and don't forget to review! Here's chapter twenty-eight of "Until the Day I Die"!_

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Title: Until the Day I Die

Chapter title: A Surprise for Touji

By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)

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As Asuka and Shinji headed down the hallway towards the apartment they shared with Misato, and now secretly Shikaku, they watched as a man passed them and entered the elevator. Looking at each other, they shrugged and continued on their way. They had never seen the man before, but he could have been visiting someone else in the building, so it wasn't much of a concern for them.

"Shikaku?" called Shinji as he shut the door and slipped off his shoes. Venturing into the living room, he watched as Shikaku clumsily put away a video tape and flung it onto the shelf. "What are you doing?"

"Oh...I uh... Nothing! Nothing at all!" said Shikaku rather breathlessly as she turned towards her cousin and smiled weakly.

"Were you watching Asuka's anime?" whispered Shinji as he kneeled down beside his cousin.

"Yes... I'm afraid that she'll be furious with me." said Shikaku quietly as she hung her head in shame.

"I'm sure she won't be too upset. She'll probably only be mad that you didn't ask her first." said Shinji as he patted his cousin on the shoulder before standing up. _'Asuka's become much more approachable now and isn't quite so hostile towards people anymore... Maybe Shikaku will be off the hook this time...'_

"You're sure I won't be too mad about what?" said Asuka as she leaned against the door frame, her arms crossed and looked from Shinji to Shikaku and then back to Shinji.

"Uh...well... Shikaku uh... Well she..." spluttered Shinji as he looked at Asuka in fear.

"She what? Don't tell me she went through my stuff!" cried Asuka in horror.

"No! I would never do that!" exclaimed Shikaku, shocked that Asuka would accuse her of doing something like that.

"Then what did you do?" said Asuka, relieved that her belongings hadn't been touched.

"I...I watched your InuYasha tape without asking first. I'm so sorry Asuka." said Shikaku quietly as she hung her head.

"Did you like it?"

"Huh?" said Shinji and Shikaku, both looking at Asuka in astonishment.

"Did you like it?"

"Am I hearing you correctly, or are you _asking_ if she liked your tape? After she just said she watched it without asking first?" said Shinji, confused beyond all reason in Hell. Asuka being nice for someone watching her anime without asking? Shinji began to get scared for his life as he looked at Asuka.

"Yes, you are Shinji. So? What's the answer Shikaku?" said Asuka, turning her gaze to Shikaku.

"Y – yes, I did. I love the animation and it's a very good show." said Shikaku quietly as she blushed slightly as she revealed her fondness for cartoons to her cousin and Asuka.

"Then I'm okay with it. Make sure you ask first, or I'll be forced to hurt you." said Asuka as she stopped leaning against the doorway and headed towards her room.

"That was...very odd. Normally Asuka would be all over you like...a rabid dog or something." said Shinji as he watched Asuka enter her room.

"I HEARD THAT!" yelled Asuka from within her room.

"Heh... I'll be paying for that sooner or later..." laughed Shinji, a trace of fear audible in his laugh.

"You better believe you will." said Asuka as she walked out of her room, the red and white strap of her bathing suit top visible under her tank top a few minutes later. "And expect it to be when you least expect it. Now get ready and let's go!"

"Where are you guys going?" asked Shikaku, her eyes shining and full of curiosity.

"Oh, we're going to the pool. I'd really like you to come...but then Section Two might find you...and Touji, Kensuke and Hikari would do nothing but badger us to find out what happened and how we knew where you were." said Shinji, a saddened expression on his face.

"It's really alright. Don't worry about me. I'll take care of the house!" said Shikaku, smiling.

"Are you sure?"

"Shinji, look. If she wants to stay home, that's her decision. Let her be and let's go!" shouted Asuka.

"I'm sorry..." said Shinji as he headed for his room.

"And stop apologizing!" yelled Asuka as she watched the door to Shinji's room shut. "Well, he'll probably never really change."

"Yes. The hardest person to know if yourself." said Shikaku quietly.

"I suppose..."

For the next five minutes, the two girls sat in silence, neither daring to speak. Shikaku was still trying to get over the fact that Asuka had been nice to her while Asuka was fuming mentally about the fact Shikaku had watched her anime without so much as asking first. She knew this was a shock for Shinji; seeing her being nice about something, but she had silently declared to herself the day Shikaku had begun to live with them she would be as nice as possible to her. Even if it meant the downfall of her reputation.

"Okay, I'm ready!" said Shinji as he walked out of the room wearing his white tank top with the red circle and kanji in the center over his bathing suit and a pair of sandals in one hand while his towel was in the other.

"It's about time!" scoffed Asuka, placing her hands on her hips. "You're really slow when it comes to changing Shinji!"

"I'm sorry Asuka..." mumbled Shinji as he looked at the floor in shame.

"Stop apologizing!"

"I – I'm sorry..."

"There you go again." sighed Asuka as she grabbed his upper arm and drug him towards the front door. "Let's go! Touji, Kensuke and Hikari are going to be pissed if we're late!"

"Yeah... Well, see you later Shikaku." said Shinji as he smiled at his cousin and put on his sandals quickly while Asuka scowled at his slowness. "I'm really sorry you can't come though."

"It's really alright. Don't worry about it." said Shikaku as she walked up to the two Pilots and smiled. "I'll really be alright. Please don't worry about me."

"Shinji, let's go! She said not to worry about her, so let's just go!" yelled Asuka.

"Alright, alright... Shikaku, don't open the door or answer the phone for anyone." warned Shinji as he stood up.

"I know. Misato told me the same thing this morning before she left for work. I'll be careful, don't worry about me." said Shikaku as she smiled. "Now, go on and have fun. But please be careful in crowded areas."

"We will. See you later!" said Asuka as she opened the door and drug Shinji out with her as the door slid shut.

"Asuka, you could be a little more compassionate sometime..." mumbled Shinji as the two made their way towards the elevator.

"And you could stop being so worried all the time." said Asuka, pushing the button for the main floor and glancing at Shinji out of the corner of her eyes.

"I'm sorry..."

"Stop apologizing! Look, she'll be fine. Stop worrying. I'm pretty sure that she can take care of herself."

"I know... But she's my cousin and I can't really help it. I just found out that she's related to me and I don't want anything to happen to her." said Shinji quietly as he looked at the ground.

"I can see your point... Who would want a bastard for a father like you have? No offense Shinji..."

"Nah, it's okay. I know he's a bastard. I just would like to know what he's planning to do..."

"Same here. But there's really no point in worrying about something we don't know anything about is there? Let's just go out and have fun. We'll deal with whatever it is when the time comes. Okay?" said Asuka as she slipped her hand into Shinji's.

"Okay. We'll deal with whatever it is when the time comes." said Shinji as he smiled at Asuka and squeezed her hand. _'Shikaku...please be okay alone...'_

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"Misato! Where have you been?!" yelled Ritsuko as she marched up to Misato as she came down the hallway, a watermelon still in her arms.

"Kaji drug me outside..." muttered Misato. "Said he wanted to show me his watermelon patch."

"I'm sure he did." scoffed Ritsuko, a smug smirk planted on her face.

"Will you stop with the looks?! Why the hell would I be carrying a damn watermelon if I wasn't dragged out to one?!"

"Misato, look. I'm not here to argue. Maya and I have finished the analysis of the sync tests from a few weeks ago." said Ritsuko as she led her friend and co-worker back to Misato's office and shut the door.

"So...is that why Maya's following you around?" said Misato, finally noticing Maya standing a few feet behind Ritsuko, holding a folder of papers in her hands.

"I suppose." sighed Ritsuko. "Misato, I'm concerned about both Asuka and Shinji."

"What's wrong with the results?" asked Misato, setting the watermelon down next to her desk and sitting in her chair.

"Both Asuka's and Shinji's syncs are down. Especially Shinji's. Asuka's down ten percent from last time, and Shinji's down twenty. At the moment, all three Pilots are within the same range, but for Shinji and Asuka it's rather odd."

"So...what you're saying is you want me to find out what's wrong with them right?" said Misato, hardly believing what she was hearing. Shinji was down twenty percent in his syncs...that wasn't normal...especially for him.

"Precisely. You live with them for God's sake! Find out what's wrong with them, and if you have to, have them talk to the NERV counselor."

"We have a counselor?"

"Yes, we do. Have you been living under a rock? She just got hired a month ago."

"Well, that would be why I didn't know." said Misato as she leaned back in her chair and waved her index finger at Ritsuko. "You know I have enough problems keeping track of the current staff as it is!"

"I think we all know that..." muttered Ritsuko. "Anyway, please find out what is going on with those two. If their relationship is affecting their syncs, they may have to end it."

"End it? Why?"

"If their relationship is going to be lowering their sync rates and an Angel attacks, we'll be in serious trouble. Find out what's wrong with them before the Angels attack again, I'm begging you Misato!" cried Ritsuko.

"Okay, I'll talk to them tonight. Don't worry Ritsuko. I promise to find out what's wrong and take the appropriate action when dealing with them." said Misato as she gave Ritsuko a reassuring smile.

"Thank you Misato. Now then, onto other matters." said Ritsuko as she looked behind her at Maya and motioned for the folder. Taking the folder from Maya, she then opened in and spread numerous papers on Misato's already cluttered desk.

"More papers for me to fill out?" groaned Misato as she saw the papers.

"No, but if you want more, I can arrange you to get more." said Ritsuko slyly.

"No, no that's okay! Really, I think I have quite enough to fill out by tonight." laughed Misato uneasily. "So, what's all this then?"

"Brain, pulse and heart wave lengths from the last sync test. As you can see here, Rei's is normal. There isn't anything rapid in the any of these." said Ritsuko, pointing to three papers with 'Ayanami, Rei' on the top in bold letters.

"Okay... Where are you headed with this Ritsuko?"

"I'm getting to it. However, when you compare Rei's to Asuka's, you notice that Asuka's pulse and heart wave lengths are much more rapid than Rei's." said Ritsuko as she moved three more papers with 'Langely, Asuka Souryu' on the top in bold near the ones with Rei's name on them and pointed to several large spikes in the wave lengths that were spread apart quite evenly.

"Yeah, but that's because she wanted to be the best like usual Ritsuko."

"That may be true, but when you compare Shinji's to the other two..." said Ritsuko, sliding three papers with 'Ikari, Shinji' on the top in bold next to both Asuka's and Rei's and pointed to numerous frequent spikes on all three wave lengths. "All three wave lengths show that something was either bothering him, or something was wrong."

"I see..." said Misato, worry audible in her voice.

"I'm really very worried about Shinji, Misato. I don't want our best Pilot to tear himself apart from the inside out and be unable to Pilot the Eva."

"I know... I'll definitely talk to him about that tonight Ritsuko."

"Thank you Misato. Oh, and the next sync test will be Tuesday of next week. After school as usual." said Ritsuko as she piled all of the papers back into the folder and picked it up.

"Alright, I'll make a note of that." said Misato as she smiled.

"Talk to you later Misato. And thanks again for talking to those two for me." said Ritsuko as she smiled back. Walking over to the door, she opened the door and waited for Maya to exit before leaving the room herself.

_'Geez... First it's this thing with Shikaku...and now Shinji and Asuka's syncs are down? It's just one thing after another isn't it?' _thought Misato as she sighed and looked at the ceiling. Grabbing her pen again, and pulling another form towards her, she resumed her dull day of filling out forms.

----------------------

"Where are those two?!" complained Touji as he paced back and forth in front of the building that housed the public pool. He was wearing a dark blue t-shirt and black swimming trunks as well as a pair of black flip-flops, his towel hanging around his neck.

"I'm sure they'll be here, don't worry." said Kensuke. He was wearing a pair of red swimming trunks and a dark red t-shirt to match as well as a pair of sandals, his towel hanging limply over his right shoulder.

"I hope they hurry." said Hikari anxiously. She was wearing a denim skirt that went down past her mid-thigh, a yellow tank top that showed the strap of her light pink bathing suit.

"Don't worry so much you two!" said Kensuke, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, the lenses flashing in the bright sunlight. _'Now I'm sure they belong together!'_

"I'll give them another five minutes, and then I'm heading inside whether they're here or not." said Touji as he looked at his wristwatch.

"Sounds good to me." said Hikari as she nodded in agreement. Kensuke looked at his two friends, little images of them kissing and holding hands like Shinji and Asuka did. Shuddering slightly, he turned his gaze towards two figures running towards them.

"Hey! They're here!" cried Kensuke happily as he pointed down the street at the two figures coming near the small group. "See? I told you they would be here!"

"Shut up." said Touji, punching Kensuke in the arm. He knew that Kensuke had been right, but he didn't like Kensuke pointing it out in front of Hikari.

"Sorry we're late!" panted Shinji as he and Asuka came to a halt in front of their friends and doubled over to catch their breaths. "I – I'm so sorry you guys!"

"Stop apologizing!" said Asuka as she lightly brought her fist down on the back of Shinji's head, a vein in her temple twitching slightly.

"You haven't really changed much at all, have you?" said Hikari, covering her mouth to stifle her laughter. Seeing the couple back to their normal ways warmed her heart, and she hoped that she would be able to share moments like these with someone special as well.

"No, not really." said Shinji as he looked up at his friends and smiled.

"I have. You haven't." muttered Asuka as she scowled and crossed her arms.

"No, you haven't." said Touji.

"Yeah, you're still the same physically-abusive girl that yells at Shinji for apologizing when you KNOW it's a habit of his that is very hard for him to break." said Kensuke, shaking his index finger at Asuka causing her to growl at him as if threatening to bite his finger off.

"Exactly. And might I add that you still think you are the greatest Pilot to grace the Earth, when everyone knows its Shinji." said Touji, eyeing Asuka through the corner of his eyes.

"Why you little –"said Asuka as she started to advance on Touji, ready to strangle him before Touji held his hand up in her face, stopping her in her tracks.

"Let me finish." said Touji, watching Asuka growl like a rabid wolf while Shinji stood beside her, hand behind his head as he laughed nervously. "As I was saying, you still believe that you are the best Pilot, and we all know its Shinji. You also don't think you need anyone, when obviously you do if you got together with Shinji."

"Hey!" said Shinji loudly, only to be ignored by Touji completely. He hung his head and stared at the ground. "I take offense to that you know..." he muttered.

"Anyway..." said Touji, noticing the furious glares he was receiving from both Shinji and Asuka. "Face it Asuka. You're basically just as much as a bit –"

"Who wants to go swimming?" interrupted Kensuke loudly. Giving Touji the "I'd-rather-you-kill-me-than-see-Asuka-go-on-a-killing-spree" look. Seeing an expression of realization appear on Touji's face, he turned back to his friends.

"What were you saying Touji?" said Asuka angrily.

"Just that...you are as much as a big hearted person as ever!" said Touji lamely, hoping that she'd buy it and spare his life.

"Uh-huh... Either way, let's go inside. People are staring..." said Hikari as she herded her friends into the building, the glass door shutting behind them.

"Come on you guys! Let's go!" said Asuka happily, grabbing Shinji's hand and pulling him towards the pool.

"We're coming..." muttered Kensuke as he slouched and grimly followed the couple. "I really wish they wouldn't do that in public...it's embarrassing..."

"I can kind of see where you're coming from. After awhile, it does get kind of annoying... Seeing them holding hands all the time I mean." said Touji, noticing the look Hikari was giving him.

"Why is it annoying? I think its sweet." said Hikari, sighing happily as she hugged her towel into her chest and blushed at the thought.

"Well...er...not really annoying... More like...I'm just not used to seeing them like that." said Touji, hoping that Hikari wouldn't be too upset with him for his earlier comment.

"Come on you guys!" called Shinji, looking rather upset that his friends were standing in the hallway talking amongst themselves and not saving him from being thrown in the pool by Asuka.

"We're coming!" said Hikari as she took one look at Touji, blushed and hurried off into the pool area.

"Looks like someone has a little crush on you Touji." said Kensuke slyly, nudging Touji in the ribs.

"Wha – what the hell are you talking about?!" said Touji, trying to sound angry when he was really ecstatic with the comment Touji had made.

"Did you see the look Hikari just gave you? She has a crush on you, plain and simple my friend. Better get used to it." said Kensuke before heading into the pool area himself, leaving Touji alone in the hallway with his thoughts.

_'Does Hikari really like me? What will I do if she does?'_ he thought anxiously before shaking his head violently. _'Don't worry about these things! If it happens, it happens. Deal with it when it does!'_ he mentally scolded himself. Steeling his resolve, he headed into the pool area only to stop dead in his tracks.

"Touji, what's the matter?" asked Hikari as she turned around to look at him in the midst of setting her skirt and tank top on a chair. Touji stared at her, unable to believe what he was seeing. Hikari in a bikini? He never thought her to be someone to show that much skin!

"What's wrong with Touji?" whispered Shinji in Kensuke's ear.

"Just realizing that Hikari has a crush on him and he has one on her in return is all." whispered Kensuke back as he set his shirt and sandals on one of the chairs near the small tables.

"Oh..." said Shinji, straightening up and looking at the frozen Touji and setting his belongings on top of Kensuke's. After a minute of silence, he finally decided to help Touji out. Standing up, he headed over to Touji, took Touji's towel off from around his shoulders and pushed him into the pool.

"H – hey! What the hell Shinji?!" spluttered Touji as he instantly came to the surface and spit out some of the water that had entered his mouth. "You could have killed me!"

"You would have died from shock if Shinji hadn't done anything." said Kensuke, kneeling by the edge of the pool and looking at Touji, an amused expression on his face.

"Let's see how you like it then!" yelled Touji as he grabbed Kensuke's arm and pulled him into the pool with him. While the two boys were laughing and yelling at one another, Shinji slowly crept away from the edge of the pool so as not to be at risk of being pulled into the pool as well.

"This is going to be...a very eventful day, isn't it?" said Asuka as she side-stepped up to Shinji, a glint in her eyes and a mischievous smile on her face.

"Sure is... Asuka? Wha – what are you doing?!" yelled Shinji as Asuka grabbed his hand and led him over to the pool.

"You'll see..." said Asuka slyly as she kissed his cheek before pushing him into the pool. "Have fun you guys!"

"Asuka! You traitor!" yelled Shinji as he was dove on by his friends and pushed under the water.

"Well, they're having fun." said Asuka, walking over to Hikari and setting her belongings down on a chair as well. "Hey...you okay? You're cheeks are really red..."

"Oh, no...I'm alright. Please, don't worry Asuka." said Hikari, placing one hand on each of her cheeks.

"Alright. Don't forget to come talk to me if you want to." said Asuka as she winked.

"I won't."

"Good. Now let's go torment the guys!" Happily, Asuka grabbed Hikari's hand and pulled her over to the pool. At the same time, both girls jumped into the pool and began to have a water fight with the guys. While the group was having such a good time, no one noticed that Rei had entered the hallway and was peering through the glass walls at the small group. After a minute of watching them, Rei turned on her heel and soundlessly left the building.

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_Author's note: OoOoOoOo... What do I have planned for Shikaku? Will romance between Touji and Hikari blossom? And why was Rei standing outside the pool watching the group? You'll just have to wait and see! MWAHAHAHAHA! –ahem- Anyway, I really hope you enjoyed this and I REALLY hope I got everything correct this time! Danny, feel free to correct me so I can fix it! Haha. Don't forget to review you guys! Until next time, ja ne! -- Nagi_

_Any comments or ideas are welcome at: _


	29. A Turn of Events

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, it's characters etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation.

_Author's note: Okay, thank you so much for all the reviews! I'm so happy you enjoy this fan fiction as much as I enjoy writing it! Also, I now have cable internet! Yay! I can update a lot more! –giggle- Anyway, here's chapter twenty-nine of "Until the Day I Die"! -- Nagi_

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Title: Until the Day I Die

Chapter title: A Turn of Events

By: Yanagi Son (That's me! XD)

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After a few hours of rough housing, a few rounds of playing 'Marco Polo' and a game of 'Chicken' (Shinji and Asuka against Touji and Hikari), the small group of people were drying off. After shaking her head side to side and showering the others with drops of water, Asuka pulled out a brush and brushed her hair so that her red hair shone with moisture.

"That was fun!" she said as she stretched. She sat down on an empty chair and watched as everyone else dried off. Hikari took out her pigtails to brush her hair before quickly putting them back up in her usual hair ties, her damp bangs hanging limply in her face, before sitting down and stretching herself.

"It sure was. I haven't had that much fun in quite awhile!" said Hikari as she smiled happily, her eyes closed and her head leaned back so that her face was directed towards the ceiling.

"What about you Shinji? Kensuke? Touji?" said Asuka, eying the boys suspiciously.

"I had a blast!" said Kensuke as he placed his glasses back on the bridge of his nose.

"It was fun." admitted Shinji as he smiled sheepishly and sat down on a chair beside Asuka.

"Yeah, I had fun too." said Touji gruffly; his face hidden by his towel as he roughly moved his towel back and forth over his hair trying to soak up the water he hadn't already shaken off.

"So...what are we going to do now?" asked Hikari.

"I don't know... We could go get ice cream." said Asuka.

"You just ate an entire box of pocky by yourself!" said Shinji loudly as he sat upright and stared at her in disbelief.

"I didn't eat the _whole_ box." said Asuka as she rolled her eyes at Shinji's comment.

"You ate most of it..."

"So? I burned off all the calories swimming! Let's go get ice cream!"

"I would think after Misato getting drunk after eating ice cream would make you never want ice cream again..." muttered Kensuke as he placed his hand under his chin.

"Who told you that?" said Asuka, shooting Kensuke a suspicious look.

"Shinji did. He told us how he, Rei and yourself all got ice cream with Misato and she got drunk by the end of the night."

"Why did you tell him that?!" yelled Asuka, glaring at Shinji.

"It just...came out... I'm sorry..." said Shinji quietly as he bowed his head.

"STOP APOLOGIZING!"

"Y – yes ma'am!" said Shinji, Kensuke and Touji at once, as they all sat up straight quickly, so as not to anger the red-head any further.

"Really Shinji... You need to stop apologizing all the time!" said Asuka as she placed a hand on her hip and gave him a stern look.

"I...I know..." said Shinji quietly.

"So, now that _that's _settled... What do you say we go get some ice cream?" said Asuka cheerfully as Hikari stood up and nodded.

"Why?" said Touji and Kensuke as they threw their heads back and groaned loudly.

"Please?" asked Hikari quietly. Touji looked at Hikari and blushed before shaking his head and getting up to gather his belongings.

"Alright...I suppose we could..." he said quietly.

"EH?! Touji, what's gotten into you?!" exclaimed Kensuke as he stood up quickly, knocking the plastic chair over in the process.

"I said, we can go get ice cream." said Touji as he looked back at his friend, his cheeks flushed. "That's not a problem is it?"

"N – no... Of course not..." said Kensuke as he backed into Shinji as he noticed Asuka glaring at him.

"Well, then it's settled. We'll all go get ice cream." said Asuka as she smiled at everyone. Grabbing her clothing and shoes, she hurried off towards the women's locker room to change.

"Thank you...Touji..." said Hikari as she quickly grabbed her belongings and followed Asuka.

"What...was _that_ about?" asked Shinji as he looked between the door to the women's locker room and Touji's flushed face. "Touji?"

"Aww... He's all embarrassed!" teased Kensuke before getting the most vicious glare from Touji he had ever received.

"Shut. The. Hell. Up." said Touji slowly, rage filling each syllable as he said them. Grabbing his things, he stomped off towards the men's locker room, slamming the door behind him.

"Whoa...touchy." said Kensuke as he gulped. "Remind me not to piss him off anymore today. He looks like he's going to kill me."

"Alright. Don't piss Touji off anymore today." said Shinji as he clapped Kensuke on the shoulder before walking off towards the locker room with his belongings in his arms.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it!" yelled Kensuke angrily before running after Shinji.

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"Oh Misato..." came a voice from outside Misato's office.

_'Great...more visitors... Why can't they leave me the hell alone for once?!' _thought Misato as she clenched her teeth together, a vein in her temple twitching. "Can I help you?" she asked with a false cheery voice.

"I just wanted to come visit." said Kaji as he came around the doorway and winked.

"KAJI!" screamed Misato. "What the hell do you want?! Haven't you bothered me enough for one day?!"

"Of course not. And I'm not here to bother you, Misato." said Kaji as he casually walked into Misato's office and looked around. "My, you have a lot to do today. You should get a start on it."

_'Maybe if people would stop interrupting me, I could have done a lot more than I have already.' _she thought savagely. "Make your damn point Kaji, and get out of my sight."

"Misato, I'm hurt."

"Good. Now, kindly make your point and leave." said Misato coldly as she pulled yet another form towards her and began filling it out.

"I see you're not in a good mood today."

"Wow, what gave you _that_ idea?" she snapped back sarcastically.

"And a bit edgy."

"Kaji, if you don't make your point and leave, I swear I'll –"

"You'll what? Shoot me? Strangle me? I'd really love to see you try." said Kaji as he leaned over Misato's desk.

"Kaji, please...just... Go away! I have a lot of work to do today!" said Misato as she stood up and pushed him away.

"Alright, I get it. I guess you don't want this then." said Kaji as he pulled out a small envelope from his jacket pocket and waved it around in the air carelessly.

"What is it...?"

"Here. I think this will come in handy." Then, tossing the envelope onto Misato's desk, he jokingly saluted to Misato and left Misato staring after him, yet again.

"What does he mean 'it'll come in handy'? What a load of bull shit..." she muttered to herself as she picked up the envelope and opened it. Pulling out the papers within, she quickly read it, her eyes widening in horror after each line. _'The...Angels... No...this can't be!' _she thought, clenching the paper in her fist.

Throwing the paper to the ground, she dashed out of her office, knocking several NERV personnel out of her way in the process. Ignoring their curses and yelling, she ran into the elevator and began pounding on the 'up' button. "C'mon... C'mon! I have to get to them!" she muttered as the doors finally shut and the elevator slowly rose towards the entrance on the ground above.

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"Here are your ice cream. That'll be fifteen Yen." said the vendor after he had handed Touji his ice cream. Asuka began digging through her pockets searching for her money before finally presenting the fifteen Yen.

"Okay, you have your ice cream... now what?" said Kensuke as they started to walk down the street.

"You could be a little more enthusiastic, that's what." muttered Asuka as she peered at him through the corner of her eye.

"I heard that!" yelled Kensuke, causing Hikari and Asuka to giggle.

"You're always so uptight Kensuke. I think we should find you a girl to calm you down." teased Asuka as she winked at him.

"Oh yeah, like that's the LAST thing I want." retorted Kensuke sarcastically.

"You know it is, don't deny it."

"SHUT UP ASUKA!"

"MAKE ME YOU LITTLE TWERP!"

"You guys...please... just...stop it already!" said Shinji, his tone firm with a slight undertone of anger within it. Both Asuka and Kensuke didn't apologize; they merely hung their head in shame and glared at each other for a few minutes before settling down completely.

"Wha... What's that noise?!" said Touji suddenly as he heard the faint sound of tires on a car squealing.

"I...don't know..." said Hikari as she looked in the direction Touji was looking and tried to figure out the object that was coming towards the small group quickly. After a few more seconds of trying to figure out what the object was, Asuka gasped.

"MISATO?!" she yelled as Misato's familiar blue car came skidding to a halt on the road beside the small group. The door opened and Misato peered at them anxiously.

"Misato, what's wrong?" asked Shinji as he neared the car.

"There's no time to explain! Get in the car, now! All of you!" she said, looking towards Kensuke, Touji and Hikari as well as Asuka and Shinji.

"Major Misato, what's going –"

"There's no time damn it! Get in now, unless you all want to die!" The small group looked at each other, gulped and threw their ice cream to the ground as they all scrambled into the tiny car. Once the door slammed shut, Misato slammed her foot on the gas pedal, causing the car to fly down the street.

"Misato, what the hell is going on?! You have to tell us!" yelled Asuka as she leaned over the front seat to look at her guardian.

"First, I need to talk to you and Shinji."

"O – okay... What's wrong?" asked Shinji quietly.

"Shinji, your synch rates have dropped twenty percent during the last test. That's not normal. And Asuka, yours dropped slightly."

"WHAT?! MY SYNCH RATE CAN'T DROP! I'M THE BEST PILOT –"

"ASUKA! Be quiet." yelled Misato. "Shinji, is anything bothering you? Anything at all?"

"Well...the whole thing about Shikaku is kind of bothering me..." whispered Shinji, his voice barely audible over the loud squeal of the car tires as Misato took a sharp right turn.

"I can understand that. What about you Asuka?" said Misato quietly as she looked at Asuka through her rear-view mirror.

"Same with me..." muttered Asuka, aware that everyone else was trying to find out what they were talking about. "Kensuke, stop touching my ass!" she screamed as she pushed his face away.

"I didn't do anything..." muttered Kensuke as he awkwardly tried to cross his arms and looked indignant in the crowded car.

"Well, I suppose the most we can do is hope that nothing goes wrong now..." muttered Misato as she skidded to a halt in front of NERV. "All right, everyone get inside the building."

"Why?" asked Hikari quietly.

"Do you want to die?" asked Misato as gently as she could while looking at Hikari.

"No..."

"Then I would get inside NERV right now."

"O – okay then..." said Hikari as she clambered out of the car after Touji and Asuka.

"What's going on?!" yelled Touji in frustration.

"You'll see when we get inside..." said Misato as she ushered the group inside the building. _'God, I hope that note was just a prank from Kaji... But if not...we're in a shit load of trouble...'_

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_Author's note: Sorry for the wait! And that this chapters a bit shorter than normal. I had slight writer's block and that's about all I could come up with for this chapter! But, the end of the story is near, so I had that big ol' turn of events. Review and let me know what you think!_

Any comments or suggestions are welcome at: 


	30. Conspiracies

_Author's note: Well, after four years of severe writer's block, high school, my first year of college, and just an overall lack of motivation to write anything, I'm finally dusting off this old fic in an attempt to finish it. There will be one, maybe two chapters if I'm really motivated, but we'll have to wait and see. :D Enjoy everyone!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, its characters, etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation._

* * *

Stopping just short of walking over the threshold of NERV, Shinji stopped and looked back at Misato. She was biting her lower lip, a look of pure nervousness and worry shadowing her normally cheery features. It was not a look that suited her at all. Turning on his heel to walk back towards her, he bumped into Asuka who gave him a confused look.

"Why are you turning around? You heard what Misato said," she said, a hint of worry clouding her normally very assured voice.

"Yeah, but look at her. You can tell she's worried about something, although she won't tell us what…" Placing a finger on his chin, his brow furrowed in thought, he glanced up at Asuka. "You go on ahead. I'll catch up later."

Leaving Asuka standing at the doorway, a serious expression on his face, he approached Misato. Placing a hand on her shoulder to get her attention, Misato turned to look at him, tears brimming in her eyes. Slightly taken aback, as he had never seen Misato cry, he was unsure as to what he should do to comfort her.

"Um… Misato? What's wrong? Why did you bring us here to NERV? What's happening?" Questions poured from his mouth before he could stop them, and with each question he watched Mistato's expression change from one of sorrow to one of worry before she scooped him into a tight hug.

"Oh, Shinji… It's horrible. I'm so sorry this had to happen to you…" she sobbed, tightening the hug to a point where Shinji thought that he might be ripped in half if she tightened it any further.

"Wha – what happened?" gasped Shinji, absently thinking that he might have just heard a rib crack.

Upon seeing Misato uncharacteristically break down, Asuka walked over to them to attempt to comfort Misato, only to be snatched up into the back-breaking hug as soon as she was within arm's reach of Misato. Patting Misato's back (or rather what part of her back she could reach while being strangled), Asuka seemed to succeed in calming Misato down enough for her to release the two from their prison in the woman's hold. Sniffling a little bit, and wiping her eyes with her jacket sleeve, Misato attempted to compose herself in front of the two children standing before her.

"Shinji…Asuka… Section Two has found Shikaku and brought her back to Central Dogma. I'm not sure what they will do to her, but we have to find her. And fast," she said, her voice becoming more authoritative, her fists clenched at her side. "We have to find her before they do anything to her."

Staring in disbelief, Shinji could not seem to wrap his mind around the words coming from Mistato's mouth. They had found Shikaku, one of his few relatives left from his mother's side, one of the very few people who cared about him as a person and not just as a pilot of the EVAs. Clenching his fists, he turned on his heel and sprinted into the building, closely followed by Asuka and Misato.

'_Hold on Shikaku…I'm coming!'_

* * *

Opening her eyes slowly, Shikaku tried to remember what had happened and figure out where she was. She seemed to be suspended in mid-air, her chin resting on her chest, much like a rag doll. Lifting her head as much as she could, she looked around, her eyes falling upon her wrists which were tied to a wooden beam at least a hundred feet above ground. Her brain was sluggish, her eyes heavy and her body no longer cooperating. After a few minutes of straining her eyes against the darkness, she realized she was tied to a crucifix; much like Lilith was in the depths of Central Dogma. Upon realizing this, she tried to remember how she had ended up here.

_She was at home…Asuka and Shinji had left to go the pool with some of their friends…Misato was at work…she had been making a small lunch for herself and Pen Pen when a knock came from the door. She was about to answer the door before remembering Misato's warning to never open the door if she was home alone. Just as she was heading back into the kitchen, the door burst open, causing a large dent to be made in the wall the door hit after being flung open so violently. Wheeling around, she stared in wide-eyed horror at the men calmly walking through the destroyed doorway as if she had invited them in for tea. She noted the dark suits, the sunglasses hiding their shifty eyes from the world and…their guns. Guns that were drawn on her, aiming straight at her heart. Pen Pen squawked indignantly at the interruption to his lunch and waddled back into his freezer, slamming the door._

"_Well, well… if it isn't Miss Yagahashii. We've been looking everywhere for you. Who knew that you would be hiding out in Major Katsuragi's apartment?" said a man, who seemed to be the leader of the squad as he walked towards her._

"_What do you want?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. Whatever they wanted with her, it wasn't a good thing and she knew it._

"_Why, we just wanted to bring you back with us to Central Dogma and introduce you to our commander, that's all. Maybe have a nice little tea party with some of the research division," he said, a crooked smile emerging under his large, bushy moustache._

"_That's very nice of you to invite me, but I'm afraid I have some prior obligations," she stated coldly as she began to back away from the men._

"_Well, in that case, I suppose we'll have to take you in by force."_

_Her eyes widened as she saw the base of a gun flying at her head, and the next thing she knew she was surrounded by darkness._

A small tear trickled down her slightly swollen cheek when she remembered what had happened. She was completely caught off guard, something that had never happened before. While she was weak physically, she was constantly on guard after the incident that had brought her to Misato's home. She struggled against the ropes binding her, but stopped after realizing that if she somehow _did _manage to break free, she would only plummet to the ground…and most likely die. Hanging her head in defeat, her hair free from its ever present ponytail cascaded over her shoulder, partially shielding her face from the world.

Footsteps were heard in the distance, causing her to look up meekly through the curtain of hair shielding her face. She was able to distinguish a small group of the men who had captured her, all surrounding one man. He was obviously a very important man, as the group of escorts all stood out of his way to allow him access to where she was held. She saw that the man had on a long coat, complete with white gloves and a pair of orange sunglasses that hid his face from the world. Involuntarily gasping, she realized just who this man was… Commander Ikari.

She had heard horrible things about him from Shinji, about how he was a cold-hearted man who wanted nothing more than something that would bring him immense power. He and he alone controlled the doings of NERV, the battles against the Angels…everything. He even dictated the lives of the children who piloted the EVAs. Giving him the dirtiest look she could muster given her current situation, Shikaku silently cursed the man's existence.

"I see you've finally captured the girl," Gendou Ikari murmured to his escorts, although in the silence of the room, Shikaku could easily hear him.

"Yes sir! It was not easy, but we finally managed to track her down and subdue her long enough to bring her to headquarters!" replied one of the escorts, saluting to the commander.

"It certainly took you long enough. If it had taken you even one more week to find her, I would have had to abandon the project."

"What do you want with me?!" shouted Shikaku, panic taking over at the mention of a project concerning her.

Looking up at the girl, Gendou Ikari gave her a rare smirk. "You shall have to wait and see, my little angel of fire," he said with a rare smirk in her direction. Relishing in her look of panic and fear, he turned back to his escorts. "Bring the research division here, and start conducting the tests. I want the results as soon as you get them. Do not disappoint me."

"Yes sir!"

With one last look at his newly acquired 'possession', Gendou turned on his heel and marched out of the room, a disturbing smile plastered on his face. Oh, she was going to bring him more power than Lilith and Adam could have combined, and he would make sure of it.

* * *

_I'm sorry about such a short chapter! I'm still getting back into the swing of things, but at least this means there will be at least one more chapter until the end of the story. :D Please review and let me know what you think. Again, I'm sorry about letting this story go for so long!_

_- Nagi_


	31. Gunshots

_Author's note: Alright, I lied. There will most likely be another two to three chapters, if not more (although that's highly unlikely), before the conclusion to the story. I can't seem to write ten plus pages anymore, and even writing five seems to be pushing it. This could just be that I'm naturally an impatient person, lol. I hope you all can bear with me until the conclusion! :D_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, its characters, etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation._

* * *

Misato, Asuka and Shinji raced down a seemingly endless hallway lined with countless doors and no windows. The only light sources available were flickering fluorescent lights spaced five yards or so from each other. Misato had found someone to look after Touji, Hikari and Kensuke, simply saying it was an emergency and running off before the NERV personnel could ask any other questions. She vaguely remembered seeing the person she had left the three children with walking around NERV, but figured they'd be safer with any of the random personnel walking around than they would be if they had stayed with them. After passing the hundredth door and not seeing any sort of hallway to turn down or elevators, Shinji began to become worried.

"We aren't lost are we, Misato?" he asked, knowing that his guardian was sensitive about the fact she always got lost. He knew he had struck a nerve when he saw a vein pop in her forehead and her left eye start twitching.

"Now Shinji, why do you always think that I'm getting lost?" Misato asked as she turned to look at Shinji, a false smile plastered on her face and a sickeningly sweet voice. Shinji noticed that her eye was still twitching despite the sweet tone she used and the toothy grin.

"Because you _are_ always getting lost," scoffed Asuka, not noticing the vein in Misato's forehead.

"For your information, I am NOT lost!" screamed Misato, causing the two children to look at each other. Shinji gave Asuka a look as if to say "I told you not to make fun of her…" Asuka just scoffed again and turned her gaze to the elevator door looming in front of them.

The trio stopped in front of the large elevator, frowns on each of their faces. For an elevator to be located in such a strange place could only mean one thing; it went down to the center of NERV. Misato nodded to the two children standing beside her, pushed the "down" button, and stepped inside when the doors opened. Inside the elevator there was a button labeled "B5", which was most likely the place Shikaku was being held captive. No one they had stopped had seen her, or had the slightest idea where she might have been taken. Misato remembered asking someone long ago about basement five, but they merely shrugged it off saying it was where Section Two tended to hang out.

"Are you two ready for what might happen?" she asked, looking at the two stern faced children beside her. They merely nodded, and she took a deep breath before pushing the button and watching the doors shut.

* * *

Shikaku awoke to find herself in a blinding white room. She squinted against the bright fluorescent lights above her. Her mind felt fuzzy; she figured she had either been drugged or knocked out again. Either way, she had a horrible headache. She tried to sit up, only to find herself strapped onto a metal table with suction cups with wires connected to various machines were attached to her neck, forehead and shoulders. Shivering, she slowly noted that her usual clothes were gone, and she now donned a white hospital gown. Looking around the best she could, she saw two figures standing a few yards away from her discussing something quietly with one another.

"Ah…um… Where…where am I?" she mumbled, her throat feeling scratchy as she spoke.

Her voice hadn't been loud, but the two figures looked at her and stopped their conversation. They were both in lab coats and resembled doctors, although they lacked the ever-present stethoscope many doctors carried around their necks. One of the mysterious persons held a clipboard and pulled a pen out of their pocket and marked something on a chart, while the other slowly approached Shikaku, their footsteps echoing in the large but empty room.

"You're finally awake," they said. Shikaku's vision was still a little bit blurry from the effects of the drugs being used to sedate her, but she could tell it was a woman.

"Where am I?" she repeated.

"You're just having a few tests done, that's all. You'll be done shortly, and then you can return to your room," said the woman kindly, Shikaku barely being able to make out a warm smile through her blurred vision.

"What…what kind of tests?"

"Just some standard tests, nothing to worry about. Just go back to sleep and it'll all be over soon enough," said the woman as she reached over to the IV connected to Shikaku's arm and pushed a button to increase the amount of sedative being pumped into her system.

Shikaku watched the woman walk back to her companion and saw her mark something else on the chart attached to the clipboard before she closed her eyes. She was oblivious to what was going on around her for the third time that day, and she didn't like it.

* * *

Stepping off the elevator, Misato pulled out her handgun and peeked around the corner. Shinji and Asuka stayed close behind her as they silently crept through a dark hallway that was lit only by a few flickering overhead lights. None of them had been down this far in Central Dogma; Lilith was located in basement four which was the furthest Misato had ever gone, despite the fact it wasn't by choice. As they slowly edged their way down the hallway, Asuka noticed a large room that resembled a hospital's operating room, bright lights and sterile surfaces and all.

"Hey, why don't we check out that room?" she whispered to her companions as she pointed to the large doorway.

Shinji nodded and crept up to the doorway and peeked through the window pane in the door, only his eyes visible from the other side of the door. He didn't see anyone in the room that resembled NERV personnel, but he saw a fairly large table with a limp figure on it that was hooked up to several machines that were monitoring their vitals. Just as he turned to walk away, he noticed raven black hair falling over the side of the table.

"Shikaku…" he breathed, and looked at Misato and Asuka, motioning them closer with his hand. The two women hurried to his side and peeked through the window as well, both of them letting out an involuntary gasp.

"Oh my God…" muttered Misato. "We have to get her out of there."

Shinji grasped the door handle and turned it slowly, finding no resistance. Quietly inching the door open just enough for them to all slip through it without any problems, Shinji ran to his cousin's side followed by Asuka. Misato quietly shut the door, hearing a soft _click _as the door shut completely, and she scanned the room, the grip on her gun tightening. She didn't notice anything out of place despite never having been in this section of NERV before.

"Shikaku… Shikaku, wake up," urged Shinji quietly as he gently shook his cousin. The only response he received was a small whimper as her head lolled to one side. "Misato, what's wrong with her?"

"It looks like she's been sedated so they could run whatever tests they needed…" said Misato as she chewed on her thumbnail in thought. _'But what _kind_ of tests are they running?'_ she wondered.

"We have to get her out of here," said Asuka as worry clouded her eyes. Just at that moment, they heard footsteps approaching from the hallway.

"Shit…we need to hide!" hissed Misato as she quickly scanned the room for a place for them to hide. Seeing a small wall that contained a control panel on the opposite side of the room, she pointed in its direction. The two children did not need to be told twice, and bolted for the control panel, all of them managing to wriggle underneath the large machine, their breathing hushed.

Just as they managed to hide themselves, the door opened and several pairs of footsteps echoed in the room. Shinji was able to see the feet of the people entering the room from his position, but he was unable to see their owner's face.

"I see all of the tests went as planned. No complications?" inquired a deep voice that sounded vaguely familiar to Shinji, although he couldn't place it.

"No sir. Everything went just as you said it would," came a woman's reply.

"Excellent. You may take her back to her room for now. We will run some more tests first thing in the morning."

"Of course, Commander Ikari."

Shinji's eyes widened in shock and disbelief, his brain not wanting to believe what his ears just told him. "Father…" he gasped. The shock shortly gave way to anger, and before Misato could stop him, he ducked out from under the control panel and ran towards his father. Just as he was about to reach his father, two strong arms grabbed him from behind and stopped any further movements. "How…how could you?!" he yelled, his father just now noticing his presence as he turned to look at his son.

"This does not concern you Third Child," he stated coldly.

"Yes it does!" yelled Asuka, as she too clambered out from underneath the control panel to march up to Gendou Ikari. Misato sighed and came out of hiding as well, her gun aimed at Gendou.

"Well, I didn't know we had such a large group of spies here at NERV," said Gendou in an amused tone. "Regardless of what you and your little friends may think, you have nothing to concern yourself with, Third Child."

"You bastard," growled Asuka. Before anyone could stop her, she had aimed a fairly decent roundhouse kick at Gendou's head, only to be blocked by one of the Section Two agents. Jumping back a few feet, Asuka was instantly captured in the same manner as Shinji by another agent who had snuck up behind her. "You'll get what's coming to you, you bastard! Mark my words!" she screamed at Gendou's retreating figure.

"Oh? I'm sure you'll be the one to deliver this divine retribution, am I correct?" he asked as he turned to look at her out of the corner of his eye.

"You're damn right, I will!" she spat, fury blazing in her eyes.

Gendou looked at the agent standing nearby and nodded before resuming his walk towards the doorway. The agent pulled out a gun and aimed at Asuka, causing a look of fear to erupt onto the young girl's face. Misato was tackled by two other agents before she could shoot her own gun to defend Asuka. The agent grinned evilly and shot two rounds off at Asuka, hitting her once in the chest, and once in the shoulder.

"NO!" yelled Shinji, a look of horror on both his face and Misato's. The agents let Asuka slump to the floor, blood pouring out of the wounds into a pool below her limp form.

"Take the girl back to her room, and do what needs to be done," said Gendou, looking at the woman in the lab coat who looked terrified at the turn of events.

"Ah…yes sir." Wheeling Shikaku out of the room, she gave Shinji a look of regret and closed the door behind her. The remaining agents proceeded to knock out both Shinji and Misato, leaving them lying on the floor in their wake as they exited the room.

* * *

_The climax is here! Hurray! The end of the story is close, so keep your pants on and enjoy! I hope to have the next chapter up within a week or so. Please review! Thank you! :D_

_- Nagi_


	32. Salvation

_**Author's note: **__I'd like to apologize for the long wait for the final chapter. I've started the new semester of school as well as a new job, and things have been a bit hectic. Also, if I'm being totally honest with myself, I was not motivated at all to write this. I'm one of those people where I need to be inspired/motivated to write and neither was the case with this chapter. Despite my lack of enthusiasm, I hope you still enjoy the finale to "Until the Day I Die!" :D_

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not own Evangelion, its characters, etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation._

* * *

Shinji groaned, his eyes squinting against the bright fluorescent lights. His head ached, a dull pounding sensation at the base of his neck. Lifting a hand to the back of his head, he felt a sticky substance trickling down his neck. Pulling his hand away and trying to focus his eyes on the liquid covering his hands, he groaned again; it was blood. His mind sluggishly went over the events of the day. He had found Shikaku and discovered that his father was behind everything that had happened to them. He had jumped out to stop him, as did Asuka and Misato. Misato had been knocked unconscious, but not before Asuka had been shot.

His eyes widened in horror as his brain struggled to wrap around that thought.

_Asuka had been shot._

Pushing himself up, he leaned on his forearms, somewhat dizzy from the sudden movement. Sweeping his unsteady gaze around the room he caught sight of red hair in the distance. Asuka was slumped against a wall, her limp hand lying in the pool of blood that surrounded her.

"Asuka…" he mumbled, the sound of his voice sounding foreign to his own ears.

After failing to push himself to his feet, he settled for dragging his unresponsive body towards her. After several minutes of this, he managed to close half of the distance between himself and Asuka. Suddenly, someone stepped between the two pilots. Shinji glowered at the person's feet, furious that they had put yet another obstacle in his path.

"Get…away from her…" he growled, his voice barely audible.

The person ignored him, and instead turned her attention to Asuka's wounds. Through Shinji's blurred vision, he realized that she was the same doctor that had wheeled Shikaku away earlier. She spoke softly but quickly to the person beside her, a sense of urgency underlining her otherwise calm demeanor. Despite the close range between himself and the woman, Shinji could only catch bits and pieces of what she said.

"…need…gauze…anti-bacterial gel…wounds…worse than I thought."

The woman glanced up as the person beside her said something, although Shinji couldn't understand what she had said. She quickly turned her concerned gaze onto him, and she rushed over to him, inspecting the wound on the back of his head. After giving her assistant some more instructions, she turned back to Shinji, smiling kindly.

"Don't worry. I'll have you patched up soon."

"What…about…Asuka?" he gasped. He noticed that her gaze intensified as he choked out the words.

"I'll save her. You just concentrate on conserving your strength."

He opened his mouth to say something, although he forgot what it was he wanted to ask. His eyes drooped and he felt his head drop to the floor. He was too tired to move, let alone keep his eyes open, so he let the darkness swallow him.

* * *

"Shinji! Shinji, wake up!"

He groaned, as the frantic voice shrieked in his ears, causing his headache to worsen. Cracking his eyes open, he saw Misato leaning over him, her brow furrowed in worry. The dull throbbing was still present and as he instinctively reached up to feel the wound on the back of his head, he was surprised to feel a bandage instead. He noticed Misato sported a similar bandage around her head, although she was also suffering from a black eye. She reached out and helped him sit up, allowing him to lean on her shoulder for support.

"What…what happened?" he mumbled as he gazed around the room. He was still in the same room, although there seemed to be a flurry of activity to his left.

"You were knocked unconscious, and Asuka was shot by those bastards from Section Two." Shinji noticeably flinched at the mention of Asuka's predicament, and Misato did her best to soothe him. "Don't worry Shinji. They have her stabilized now, and they're about to take her down to surgery."

"_Surgery_?! Why does she need surgery? What happened?" Shinji frantically searched for a glimpse of the redheaded pilot, but he couldn't see anything past the sea of lab coats and scrubs. Just then a woman with dark brown hair appeared beside him.

"Ikari-kun, I understand how upset you must be feeling right now, but you need to calm down. I'm afraid you may have a concussion," she said gently as she peered into his eyes.

"Why does Asuka need surgery?!" he demanded.

The woman sighed and allowed her gaze to drift from the worried child's face towards the gurney that was now being wheeled out of the room. "Her shoulder is completely shattered and needs reconstructive surgery, and a bullet punctured one of her lungs. Luckily, they missed her heart, although it was by mere centimeters…"

Shinji stared in horror at the woman, the news of just how close Asuka had been to being fatally wounded slowly sinking in. Swallowing thickly, he pushed himself to his feet, albeit shakily.

"Shinji, you really need to sit down!" Misato fretted as he began to slowly drag his feet towards the door, leaning on the walls for support.

"Ikari-kun, what are you doing?!" yelled the woman as she ran over to him. Looking into his eyes, she saw just how determined he was. "We really need to take you in for some tests to make sure you don't have a concussion."

"I need to save Shikaku. Tell me where she is."

"Ikari-kun…"

"Tell me where she is!" His head spun and his ears began ringing at his outburst, but he didn't care. He promised that he would keep her safe, and he intended to keep that promise.

The woman sighed in defeat and turned towards the door. "Follow me."

Shinji glanced back to Misato, who nodded and walked over to his side. She wrapped her right arm around his waist as he rested his left arm around her shoulders for support. The followed the woman down the hallway at a slow pace, both women afraid of Shinji worsening his injuries. After a few minutes of silence, Misato felt the urge to ask the woman some questions.

"What's your name?"

"Reiko Hakushi."

"How long have you worked here?" Misato had never heard of the woman before, and she was sure that Ritsuko would have mentioned her at some point.

"I've only worked here for about six months."

"Oh… Well, what is your position here?"

"Mostly research and development, but I've recently been put in charge of the 'Angel of Fire' case."

Misato's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What's this 'Angel of Fire' case?"

Reiko stopped in her tracks and turned to face the two behind her. Misato was shocked by the look of remorse on her face. Reiko bowed her head in shame, and wiped her eyes on the back of her sleeve.

"I'm so sorry, Ikari-kun… I…I didn't know that it would turn into this," she sobbed, looking up at the child, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"It's…alright. Can you tell me what they're planning to do to Shikaku?" asked Shinji calmly. He lost all anger at the woman when he saw just how much this tormented her.

"I… They're planning on extracting something from within her soul…something powerful, even more so than the Angels themselves."

"What are they planning on extracting from her?" demanded Misato, worry etched in her face.

Reiko bowed her head in shame. "I can't tell you… The least I can do is help you stop them from ruining that child's future."

* * *

A blood-curdling scream filled the room, echoing around the empty chasm. Her head fell forward causing her long hair to cascade down her shoulder, framing her face. Her breathing was ragged and tears spilled from the corner of her eyes, sliding down her pale cheeks. Her wrists were once again secured, her arms stretched out on either side of her body. Blood dripped from her limp hands; she had dug her nails in so deeply that she drew blood. Somewhere in the dark room a faint beeping sounded every few seconds; her heartbeat was being monitored.

"Please…please stop…" she gasped. "I…I can't take anymore… Please…"

Footsteps echoed throughout the room, becoming louder as the figure slowly approached her. After what was an agonizingly long wait, the figure stood mere inches away from her. A finger gently slid under her chin and tilted her head up so that their eyes met. She couldn't see their face clearly in the darkness or through her tears, but the glint in their eyes was clear as day.

"Now why would we want to do that?" they asked softly.

"Please…" she begged, more tears escaping from the corner of her eyes.

"I think you can stand much more that that. That was barely anything compared to what you could do if you would only realize your true potential."

"No…please… Please stop… It hurts…"

She felt their finger leave its position under her chin and cried out in pain as a loud crack echoed across the room. They had slapped her, and when she dared to glance up through the curtain of hair shielding her face, she saw only contempt in their eyes.

"Don't tell me that it hurts now. This is only the beginning." Turning away from her, he called to the technicians in an observation deck above them. "Increase it to five hundred. We need to hurry up and contain this damn thing."

A door slammed shut in the distance, and silence followed. Something began crackling, the noise growing louder with each passing second. The beeping of the monitor became more frequent as her pulse quickened. She knew what was coming and braced herself, but she couldn't stop the scream that escaped her.

* * *

Shinji stopped in his tracks, causing Misato to stumble a bit and look at him questioningly.

"Shinji, what are you –"

"Ssh! I hear something…"

The small group became silent, and they could hear a faint sound echoing through the deserted hallways. Shinji's eyes widened in horror as it dawned on him what the sound was; it was a scream. Misato gasped as she too realized what the sound was, and Reiko clapped a hand over her mouth in horror.

"What are they doing to her?" murmured Misato, glancing from Shinji to Reiko and back.

"We need to hurry or it will be too late," said Reiko, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. "Follow me."

The trio raced down the hallway as fast as they could with Shinji's injuries. As they rounded a corner, another scream echoed in the hallway, louder than the last. Misato tightened her grip around Shinji's waist and quickened her pace – she would drag him if she had to. Reiko suddenly stopped in front of a large door and stared through the window in silence. Her face went through a range of emotion from shock to disbelief to horror, all in a matter of seconds.

"It's too late…" she murmured sadly. Turning to Misato and Shinji, her expression hardened. "We need to get out of here."

"We're not going anywhere! What's too late?" Misato roughly shoved Reiko out of her way and peered through the window. She gasped and stepped aside so Shinji could look. "What are they doing to her?!"

"They're extracting _it_ from within her soul… It's already manifesting itself, and because of that it's too late to save her."

"_What's_ manifesting itself?! Damn it, can't you give me a straight answer?!" yelled Misato as she fought off the urge to smack the woman in front of her.

"It's… It's something similar to the Angels, but more closely related to humans. Because of that, it is much more powerful than the Angels you have fought previously… It's also believed to be a descendant of Adam himself." Reiko looked away from the shocked expressions on Misato and Shinji's faces. "I'm so sorry…"

Shinji tore his eyes away from the anguished look on Reiko's face and gazed through the window into the dark room before him. He could see Shikaku, although barely. She was engulfed in flames, but they didn't seem to be burning her. Her hair whipped about her face, as if an invisible wind was blowing on her and her alone. She seemed to be unconscious, yet another ear-piercing scream sounded from within the room. He gazed at the flames dancing around her and gasped – a face was materializing within the flames. While it looked angelic, he shivered at the murderous intent emanating from it.

"Is there any way to stop it?" he asked quietly, his gaze transfixed on the being's face.

"I'm not sure, but we may be able to stop it if we stop whatever is causing it to materialize." Reiko's eyes glinted in determination as she looked at Misato. "We'll have to hurry though. Once the body is fully materialized, there won't be anything we can do to stop it."

"Where is this thing that's causing it to materialize located?"

"There's most likely a control panel in that observation deck," said Reiko as she pointed to the room jutting out of the wall on the other side of the door. "But there has to be something inside that room, connecting it to that girl… We need to pick someone to go in there and dismantle it."

"I'll go."

"What? Shinji, you can't! You're still injured!" protested Misato.

Shinji turned to look at his guardian, his mouth set in a determined line. "Misato, we need to save her. She's my only family, and I promised her I would keep her safe. I have to do this."

"I… Alright. Just be careful."

"Don't worry. When have I ever been reckless?" joked Shinji, giving Misato a reassuring smile. "Now go. You need to stop whoever is in that observation deck."

Misato nodded and turned to run down the hallway, Reiko on her heels. Shinji turned to face the door, his smile disappearing. He grabbed the door handle and stared through the window at Shikaku's face.

'_I'm coming Shikaku…'_

He pushed the heavy door open and was greeted by another scream and scorching heat. He hesitated for a moment before stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him.

* * *

"Where exactly is this control room?" panted Misato. They had been sprinting down the same hallway for ten minutes and not once had Reiko said something. Reiko suddenly performed a hairpin turn down a hallway to her right before skidding to a stop in front of a door.

"It's right here," she gasped as she wiped some sweat from her brow.

Misato jogged over to her and swallowed thickly. Her hand instinctively reached for her gun, but found nothing. She sighed and scratched the back of her head. She would have to resort to hand-to-hand combat and that wasn't something she particularly enjoyed. Flexing her fingers, she massaged her sore shoulder and her expression hardened.

"Let's do this."

Gripping the door handle, she slowly turned it and pushed the door open. The room was dark, but several computer monitors were glowing, illuminating the room enough that they could see how many people were present. Forcing a small smile onto her lips, she casually walked through the doorway.

"Hello, gentlemen!" she said happily. Waving at the bewildered men in the room, she quickly surveyed the room; she was happy to find that none of them carried a weapon. Smirking, she lowered her hand to her side and walked over to the main computer. "My, my… What do we have here? I've never seen _this_ before…"

"That's not something you should be touching," warned one of the men standing behind her.

"Oh? And why's that?" she asked innocently, turning her attention away from the screen.

"It's very important that you not touch that."

"Well…I suppose if you won't tell me why I shouldn't touch it…" She paused to glance idly at her fingernails, as if she were checking a manicure for flaws before grinning. "I'll just have to beat it out of you."

With the speed only someone professionally trained in the martial arts could possess, she grabbed the hair of a man sitting in a chair beside her and smashed his forehead into the console, knocking him unconscious. Spinning on her heel, she managed to catch a man lunging towards her in the stomach with her fist before grabbing the back of his head and thrusting her knee into his face. Feeling the crunch of the cartilage in his nose, she flung him away, watching his body slump against the floor.

Reiko watched in shock from the doorway, unsure of what to do. She had never seen someone move so agilely nor so lethally before in her life; she now understood why Captain Katsuragi was so renowned throughout NERV. Within a matter of minutes, Misato stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by unconscious staff members. She dusted herself off and surveyed her work before looking at the small tear in her dress. Sighing, she turned to the control panel beside her.

Making her way over to Misato, Reiko carefully stepped over the bodies littering the ground and took her seat in front of the main monitor. Using the keyboard, she frantically typed a few sequences on the keyboard, her eyes flitting across the screen each time something popped up. After a few tense minutes of nothing but the sound of her fingers skipping over the keys, she sighed and slumped into the chair. Misato looked at her questioningly; worry creased her forehead when Reiko laughed nervously.

"I managed to shut down the system. Now it's all up to Ikari-kun," she said, smiling weakly.

Misato frowned and gazed out of the window overlooking the horrific scene below her.

'_We've done all we can do, Shinji. It's all up to you now…'_

* * *

Shinji covered his ears, shielding them from the scream echoing through the room. He squinted against the winds whipping against him. As soon as his presence had been detected by the being emerging from within his cousin's soul, it had been trying to deter his progress across the room, almost as if it sensed what his intent was. He managed to get within twenty feet of Shikaku, and that was when the being began to grow restless. It bore it's fangs at him, its glowing eyes glaring at him fiercely. While he was terrified of what kind of threat this could pose for Tokyo 3, as well as the rest of the world, he knew he had to save Shikaku.

"Shikaku, can you hear me?" he called, over the screeches of the monster.

The wind picked up and he fell to his knees from the force of it. Struggling to his feet, he took another tentative step forward, his eyes locked on the face of his cousin. Her eyes were closed, tears streaming down her cheeks as her hair whipped about her.

"Shikaku, it's me! It's Shinji! I've come to help you!"

He took another step forward and the monster growled, its angelic face contorting. Shikaku's eyes fluttered open and she stared at him, wide-eyed disbelief written clearly across her face.

"Shin…ji…"

"That's right, it's me! Shikaku, I'm going to get you out of here." Taking another step, he spotted the machine that was causing everything. Turning his attention to the machine, the monster shrieked.

"No…Shinji… Get out of here while you still can!" pleaded Shikaku.

Shinji made it over to the machine and turned to smile weakly at her. "I can't do that. I promised to protect you, and that's what I'm going to do." His hand grasped a small crowbar he had found lying on the ground earlier, and he hefted it over his head.

"Shinji, don't!"

Sparing one last glance at his beloved cousin, Shinji slammed the crowbar into the machine. He did this over and over, sparks emitting from the damage machinery with each strike. Shikaku shuddered as the monster began receding back into her soul, her eyes glazing over. With one last swing, the crowbar whistled through the air, and small bits of plastic and metal whizzed through the air at the impact. Sighing with relief, Shinji looked wearily at Shikaku.

"It's all over now, Shikaku. We can go…" His eyes widened in horror, the words dying on his lips.

The restraints holding Shikaku snapped, setting her free. Instead of falling to the ground, she continued to hover in midair, fire engulfing her figure. Her eyes were vacant, her mouth slightly open, her hair continuing to whip about her. Her hands slowly rose to her chest, clenching at the fabric of her shirt tightly. Her eyes closed as she bowed her head, curling into the fetal position.

"SHIKAKU!" screamed Shinji as he sprinted towards her, his hand outstretched to grab her hand.

Just as he was about to touch her, she uncurled her body and stood ram-rod straight. A scream fell from her lips as she arched her back, and a blinding light engulfed the room.

* * *

Groaning, Shinji cracked his eyes open. For the second time that day he found himself staring at blinding fluorescent lights – the only difference was that he was in a hospital room this time. His head felt numb and he lazily looked at his arm, noting the IV he was attached to. Lifting one hand, he gingerly pressed his fingers against his forehead. He was happy to find there was no pain, but he figured that was due to the sedatives pumping through his veins. Finally, the haziness engulfing his mind dissipated and he was able to go over the events that had happened. The door to his right opened, interrupting his thoughts, and he was surprised to see Misato walking through the doorway.

"Oh, Shinji! You're finally awake!" she cried, throwing herself onto him in a bone crushing hug.

"Ow! Misato, that hurts!" he yelped. She loosened her grip and smiled, tears stinging the corner of her eyes.

"I'm sorry… It's just that I was so worried that I would have lost you. The explosion was horrible…the entire room is destroyed," she bowed her head, quickly wiping away the tears that had fallen.

"Where's Shikaku? Is she alright? Is she hurt?"

"Whoa, slow down," said Misato, holding her hand up to halt any further questions. After waiting a moment to see if he would interrupt her, she smiled. "Shikaku-chan is fine. She's resting in the next room with Asuka."

"Asuka's back from surgery?"

"Yeah, and she's pretty mad at you for running off too." Misato laughed quietly to herself, and Shinji frowned.

"I need to see her," he said as he threw the blankets off of his legs. Wincing at the sudden movement, he pressed his palm against his forehead, waiting for the dizziness he was experiencing to go away.

"Now wait just a minute. You just woke up, and you have a concussion!" chided Misato, gingerly pushing him back into bed.

"But Misato!" protested Shinji. She stared at him for a moment before sighing.

"I can't keep you from seeing her, can I?" she muttered before turning towards the door. "I'll be right back with a wheelchair, and don't you dare try to sneak off."

"Yes ma'am."

Shaking her head, she exited the room in search of a wheelchair. Returning a few minutes later with a nurse, they successfully assisted him into the chair. Shinji kept one hand firmly around the base of his IV stand, which wheeled silently along beside him as Misato pushed his wheelchair down the hall. Entering the room where Shikaku and Asuka were staying, she quietly parked him next to Asuka's bed.

"Just give me a call when you're ready to go back to your room," she said gently before exiting the room and closing the door behind her.

"Thank you Misato," he whispered before turning his attention to the redhead staring angrily up at him.

"You're in trouble."

"For what?" asked Shinji, completely bewildered that that had been the first thing she said to him.

"For doing something stupid like running into a room that exploded," she grumbled as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well I didn't know the room was going to explode at the time…" mumbled Shinji before looking her straight in the eye. "And I'm not the one who got shot here."

Asuka chuckled before wincing. Sighing, she closed her eyes. "I suppose you're right this time, Shinji. You're still a moron though."

"Sorry…"

"What did I tell you?"

"To stop apologizing for everything…" mumbled Shinji as he averted his gaze to his hands. He looked up when something brushed against his cheek, and he blushed.

"So stop apologizing for everything," said Asuka, a small smile on her lips. Her fingerstips brushed against his cheek before she lowered her hand to her side. Sighing, she glanced at the unconscious girl on the other side of the room. "Do you think she'll be okay?"

"She'll be fine," said Shinji firmly. "She has to be."

"She really means that much to you, doesn't she?" Shinji nodded and she smiled. "Do I mean that much to you?" she inquired softly.

"Yes…you mean so much to me, Asuka…" murmured Shinji, his cheeks blazing. Raising his head, his gaze settled on her eyes and he gripped her hand tightly. "I promise I'll always protect you and Shikaku…"

"Tch, I don't need protecting from someone like you," said Asuka fiercely before laughing. Her eyes softened as she flicked him in the forehead. "But I suppose if it's you, I can learn to live with it."

Shinji smiled. "I'm glad to hear that…"

**THE END.**

* * *

_Hurray, it's finally complete! Again, I'd like to apologize for this final update taking so long. Once I finally got on a decent roll I kept going and was able to complete it. It's later than when I intended to update, but things happen. Either way, I hope you enjoyed this fic! I'm not sure if I will ever write another NGE fic, but only time will tell. :3_

_Thank you again to all of you who have reviewed and/or left me helpful tips along the way. I will always be indebted to you. Thank you for all of your support over the grueling five years it took me to finally complete this. :3_


	33. Epilogue: Memories

_**Author's note: **__I've decided to write a short epilogue to tie up all of the loose ends, so to speak. It will be written from Shinji's perspective, so I hope you enjoy it! I'd also like to apologize for the lack-luster ending of the previous chapter. It's been brought to my attention that it was inadequate for the length of this fic, so I'm going to attempt to remedy that. :3_

_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not own Evangelion, its characters, etc. They belong to Gainax. I do however, own Shikaku, a character of my own creation._

* * *

Six months have passed since the day we found out what Gendo Ikari – my father – had been planning… Six months since we've last seen or heard from him… Six months of peace and happiness for all who were involved in this mess.

A week passed before I was released from the hospital along with Shikaku. Asuka had to stay so that the medical staff could monitor her recovery. Misato, Shikaku and I visited everyday until she was allowed to return home, something we were all grateful for. While we never mentioned what had occurred, it was always in the back of our minds, constantly reminding us that things could have turned out differently than it had...

We eventually found out what was within Shikaku's soul and what its purpose was for. She had been born with it clinging to her soul, feeding off of her life energy for all these years. Her mother – my aunt – broke down into sobs when she heard of this.

"That's why she was always so sick when she was little… I had no idea," she whispered.

Ritsuko hasn't determined exactly how Shikaku was born with it, but speculates that it's something dormant that is inside all of us and that it decided to awaken with Shikaku. The reasons are still unknown as to why this happened, but NERV is running all sorts of tests and researching the myths that relate to find out if there is a way to prevent this from occurring in the future. All we can do is wait for the answer to make itself clear.

My father disappeared shortly after the incident, never to be heard from again. SEELE is sending out special agents to try and track him down, but I doubt they'll find him. He's always been good at hiding and keeping out of the public eye - he's done it for most of his life after all. He was eventually replaced in his position of Commander by someone we can all trust with our lives. Although I haven't met them yet, Misato reassured us all that he was very reliable and someone we could count on in times of need.

Rei seems to be taking my father's disappearance well, but I have a feeling that she's really hurt. When performing her tests with her EVA Unit, she doesn't seem to be trying as hard as she used to. It's almost as if she's lost the will to fight against the Angels, like if my father isn't there to praise her, nothing is worth this suffering we endure each time we go out into battle.

Shikaku returned to her parents, although she is constantly surveyed by NERV field agents. It's not that they don't trust her; it's just that we don't know when my father may return and try to finish what he started. Her parents offered to adopt me, but I politely refused. While they are my only family, I have another family that I can't live without. They understood and informed me that I will always be welcome at their home at any time.

A month after the incident, things returned to normal. We returned to school, Keigo and Touji demanding to know what had happened. They were furious to have been kept in the dark for so long, but we still weren't allowed to explain everything. We were allowed to tell them bits and pieces of what happened; how Asuka was shot and still recuperating, how my father disappeared, and how Shikaku was no longer in any immediate danger. While still unhappy with the amount of information we could share, they seemed relieved to know that everything would be fine.

Since then, things have been different between Asuka and I. She's not quite so violent around me, although she still has a temper, and she seems to be trying to watch what she says. It's all rather amusing, but I wouldn't dare tell her that to her face. I think that we're officially an item, at least that's what Misato says, but Asuka refuses to acknowledge it. Either way, things are peaceful and that's all I could ask for. I hope that we can eventually put this behind us and move on, but for now we'll always been on our guard just in case someone decides to finish what my father started.

Someday, this will all just be a memory…

* * *

_I really hope that this helped to clear up some of the things that happened in this fic. Thank you so much for all of your support. :3_

_- Nagi_


End file.
